Dragon Age: A Novel: Part One
by gunsnrosesgal
Summary: Hello readers of this brilliant novelization! LOL! HAPPY NEW YEAR! Here is Chapter 12 AND 13 to start it off! And of course, R R! I love constructive criticism and praise!
1. Chapter 1

**Part One  
Chapter One**

**A Child of the Dales**

* * *

If you are an elf, born in this time, in this land, everything is meant to be difficult. Many years ago, the humans had enslaved the elves, and tried to make them submit to their gods. She was always told that it was a terrible time to be alive, and the elders who speak the tales always to so with a look of anguish upon their faces. She hated the humans – or shems, as they were more often called around her people- and whenever one was to stumble into their area it was always a fun game to make them beg for mercy.

As she sat high in one of the old trees, she eyed the grounds carefully. Another reason that being an elf was hard – especially a Dalish elf – was that they were constantly on the move. No humans accepted them and if their camps were found by even one human, well, it was never out of the ordinary that an entire village could be slain because of their hatred and mistrust. It had happened once, long ago, when she was only a small child, yet she remembered their attack in great detail. She was so young…her parents, so brave…

She would not think of that now. She and Tamlen had more important matters to attend to. Being hunters for the clan, it was their duty to not only watch for wildlife to bring back as food, but also to watch for any shems who would dare to cross into their camp.

She looked down from her perch and eyed her clan-mate. He was a strong, handsome elf with dirty blond hair, his facial tattoo an intricate design that danced across his face in different lines and directions. Tamlen had been her closest friend since her parent's death, and she loved him dearly for it. He understood her hatred for the humans and did not judge her for it. If anything, he agreed even more ever since his parents were taken by the shems and brought to slavery. They had much in common, and perhaps that was why they felt such a strong connection to each other. At any rate, she would be lucky to be paired with him, he was their most promising hunter, he would make a fine partner and no doubt they would have strong children.

A twig snapped out in front of them and Tamlen's head shot up, his bow drawn almost as quickly as you can blink. He looked up to his clan-mate and signaled for her to follow shortly. She nodded, and began her descent to the ground from the grand oak tree. It was not until she reached the ground and began to make a run for him that she heard the voices. Tamlen was talking to someone…something, perhaps, and he did not sound pleased. Immediately, she drew her own bow and placed an arrow in front of her. She slowly walked down the hill and started to meet up with Tamlen.

"You fool, the forest does not 'belong' to us. But now that you have found us, we will have to pack up our camp and leave!"

There was an intense fire in his eyes, and she didn't blame him. For instead of wild game to bring home to feast upon, they found something more vile and despicable.

Shems.

Tamlen caught her out of the corner of his eye, his face relaxing slightly. "Ah, you're just in time. I found these…humans lurking in the bushes. Bandits, no doubt. What do you say lethallan? What should we do with them?"

He always wanted her opinion in such matters, as if doing the wrong thing would make or break their relationship. She pondered it for a moment. Although she could hardly stand the sight of humans, with their unhygienic nature and flat ears, she thought it best to at least get a little information out of them. It was not everyday that humans would venture into the forest for no reason, unarmed.

"Let's find out what they're doing here first."

Tamlen grunted. "Does it matter? Hunting or banditry, we'll need to move camp because of them!"

"L-look, we didn't come here to make trouble," one of the humans stammered. "We just found a cave and decided to try and find any treasure."

"We know these woods far too well," she sneered, her bow drawn tight. "If there was a cave, we would have known about it."

The human looked desperate, sweat appearing under his red hair. "I-I have proof! Here, we found it just inside the entrance."

Tamlen took the object. It was an ornate stone with many carvings upon it. It glowed to the touch and felt warm in the Dalish's hand. He stared at the object, wide eyed. "These marking…they look like elvish!" He put his attention back on the humans, placing the object in his pouch and drawing his arrow once again. "Why didn't you go back and look for more?"

"W-we wanted to," the human continued. His other companions were immobilized with fear. "But there was a demon! It was huge! With black eyes! Thank the Maker we were able to outrun it!"

Tamlen laughed. "A demon. You expect us to believe that?"

"It's true! I swear! P-Please, just let us go!"

Tamlen looked over to his clan-mate, "Well, what should we do with them now?"

She glared, her grey eyes burning with hatred. "Kill one. The others will make sure no one else comes."

At the first sound of 'kill', the two humans who couldn't say a word ran first, stumbling on their way out of the forest. Too bad for the talker, Tamlen's arrow would make short work of him.

"N-No wait! Y-You can't do this! Please-!"

But the arrow drove into his heart and silenced him. Blood trickled down his garments from the hole in his chest and he fell onto the ground, facing the sky. Tamlen went to check for signs of life, and she followed. Up close, she saw the arrow did not quiver to a heartbeat, meaning there was no longer one to be heard. He was dead. And she was happy.

Tamlen rose and dusted off his hands. He turned to her and smiled. "Well, shall we see if there's any truth to their story? These caves make me curious."

Anything he wanted, she would gladly give. "Sounds like a good idea."

"And if we find anything," he continued, "The keeper will want to know."

She nodded and they headed off deeper into the forest, their ears perked for the first sign of danger. They had yet to venture so far into the woods. Their keeper always forbade it, in case of any humans or dangers that might lurk. But if three unarmed humans can go in, surely two armed and trained elves can as well. Sometimes she didn't understand the keeper's ways and intentions, but she supposed she wasn't meant to. She was only a hunter. It was only her responsibility to feed and protect the clan physically, not keep watch over the entirety of the clan, mind, body and soul.

As they ventured deeper, she stopped in her tracks, holding out her arm to stop Tamlen. He obliged but looked at her curiously. She held one finger to her lips and sniffed the air. She could smell it, blood. She drew her bow again and crept ever so slowly to the edge of the cliff. She gently pushed aside the bushes and saw two magnificent white wolves feasting upon and great white halla. The beasts had only just begun their meal, it seemed, for their muzzles were not quite yet covered in the silver blood of the creature. Tamlen was now right behind her, his weapon drawn. They looked at each other and nodded; these two wolves would prove to be a fine catch for the clan, bit enough to feed off of, and thick fur on their coats for the approaching winter months. Both let their arrows fly.

Hers made direct contact. The wolf fell with her arrow plunged into its brain. Tamlen's, however, missed its mark and impaled itself in the wolf's thigh. It howled and snarled in their direction, coming for them quickly, almost unnaturally fast.

She was not quick enough to dodge. The wolf pounced her and tried to rip at her jugular. She let out a cry and tried to keep the beast at a distance with her bow. Its sharp teeth began to splinter the wood as soon as they made contact. It was relentless.

However, almost as quickly as it started, the wolf stopped, its eyes rolling into its head as it slumped over to the ground. Tamlen had withdrawn his long sword and stabbed the beast in its stomach until it was dead. They were now both covered in blood, adrenaline pumping through their veins.

"Well, at least we will return with food," Tamlen grinned, panting slightly. He helped her up and together they dragged the wolf down to its dead partner. The two elves tied the animals up and hoisted them into a tree so the other animals could not get them. They would have to trust that the wolves would be here when they got back.

The Dale brushed her matted hair off of her face, the dark brown now carrying a sick tinge of red as it streak her hands with every touch. It wasn't so much the blood that bothered her, she was almost covered in it daily with the hunts they went on, but the smell…Something about blood's smell made her want to retch every time. When she first started as a hunter, she couldn't count how many times she lost control of her stomach contents after a kill. The life of a Dalish will toughed you though, and soon she was able to at least control herself.

It was not even another hour before they reached a dip in the trail; a small entrance that was almost hidden by the huge boulders of a would-be mountain. She and Tamlen stopped on top of the rocks and looked down into the black entrance. Something about it didn't feel…right to her.

"This must be the cave," Tamlen said. "I don't recall seeing this before. Do you?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't. Let's check it out."

He smiled. "My thoughts exactly. With luck, we'll find something that will make us clan heroes!"

The climbed over the obstacles and made their way into the cave. It was a far way down and much of the foundation was gone, replace by jagged stalagmites and weeds growing through the cracks in the walls. They walked in, slowly, weapons at the ready in case of ambush by any creature. As they entered, they took in the ruins around them; they looked so fragile, as if one breeze might crumble the very columns to dust. It was old, no question about that. However, something about its architecture looked…off to her.

"Looks like those shem were right," Tamlen whispered, breaking the silence. "But what would a ruin be doing down here? And why does it look human built?"

"I'm not sure lethallan. But something feels…wrong here. Are we sure we should venture farther?"

He grinned at her. "We'll be fine. We won't go far. But stay alert and we'll be okay."

There was a door at the end of the room. They approached it slowly, feeling the floor for any ancient traps that might still be active. Tamlen nudged the door ever so slowly and they entered, sizing up the next room, immediately looking for any danger.

"Look at all the elfroot here lethallan!" She exclaimed. "We must bring some back to the keeper! We can use them for our poultices to heal our sick!"

She ran to the other side of the room and placed her bow on her back. She knelt on the ground and began to pick at the glowing greens that grew from the cracks. She was so enthralled in finding the herbs for the healers that she didn't notice the shadows that began to descend from the ceilings.

"No! Lethallan! Look out!"

She turned just in time to see a set of pincers try to sink themselves into her flesh. She rolled away just in time and grabbed her bow and arrow. On bended knee she began to unleash arrow after arrow on the eight legged beast. Never before had she seen a spider so large…so twisted. It came at her, hungry, and with unnatural speed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tamlen warding off two others that were trying to get their webs around him. He spun and twisted his body, wielding his blade in one hand and bashing their 'faces' with his shield in the other. It was then that she saw how close her own beast was. With her arrow, she concentrated.

_'Gods, guide my arrow…banish this creature and send it back to hell…'_

They listened, and with the release of the arrow, the spider stopped its advance and shriveled in its place.

The elf took no time to celebrate, for she saw her clan-mate begin to fold under the webs the spiders were spinning.

"Help me! Ugh…Lethallan!"

She cast her bow aside, dropped her quiver and jumped high into the air, drawing her two blades. She landed on the backside of the one spider and drove her daggers into its warm, hairy body. The beast actually let out a scream of pain as its life was being taken from it, blood spurting from the wounds and venom oozing from its 'mouth'. She delivered one more blow to the eyes and it stopped moving just like the one previous.

It had given the other spider time to try and get around her to attack, and Tamlen had enough time to free himself of the webbing. He came up behind the beast and jumped on its back, making his way to the head, he stabbed it once, twice, three times until it stopped moving as well.

The two were left there, among the carnage, breathing heavily and taken aback by the monsters they had just encountered. Tamlen was first to pick up his blade and come to check on his mate. Her grey eyes were wide with surprise, and maybe even a hint of fear. He offered his hand, and she took it gladly – happy to be off of the floor that was wet with venom and blood. They looked at each other for one fleeting moment, and their gaze seemed to linger, but they quickly came to their senses and began to collect their items.

"This place makes me nervous."

She looked over at Tamlen, seeing the uncertainty written all over his face. But it was too late to turn back now. What if there were more beasts down here? They could not simply leave and risk them being followed back to the camp. These might only be spiders, but they seemed to have some form of intelligence. There was no telling what they could be capable of if given the chance.

"What do you make of all of this?" she asked.

Tamlen sighed. "I'm not sure. This looks like a very old human place. Why did they build this?" He paced the room, looking all about. "And why would elven artifacts be here? Maybe…some of our ancestors lived here, in caves like the dwarves," he turned and smirked at her. "I'll stick to roaming the land myself."

"This doesn't feel like anyone's home," she replied, too wary to return the smile.

He became serious again, narrowing his gaze on the next door. "I don't know. I have this odd sensation that we've…disturbed something – like we just walked into a dragon's lair. Well, whatever it is…it won't stop me! A Dalish hunter fears nothing!"

So they continued. The path was not as dangerous as they thought it was going to be, save for the odd spider or two, which were now easy to dispose of between the two of them. The elves stayed cautious and progressed slowly, staying aware of their surroundings. The ruins seemed ages old. Most of the artifacts and drawings they were unable to recognize, let alone see in the darkness. But above all it was quiet, and that threw Tamlen off.

"Hey," he began, desperate to break the silence. "Weren't you supposed to be assisting Maser Varathorn today? How did you end up coming with me?"

She blushed. "I…wanted to come with you, of course."

His face reddened in return. "I…thought that might be the case. I'm glad. Hey, let's just find whatever could be here and get out. Then, maybe we can talk later?"

She looked forward to it, of course. Although the Dalish had little time for romance – as most marriages are done out of matchmaking by the keeper or the parents – she felt a strong bond with Tamlen. She knew that she would be content if the keeper were to allow them to wed. She was surprised the keeper had not mentioned it yet. After all, she was a young woman now. It was the perfect time to bear children to add to the clan and still be useful as a hunter after childbirth. It was her duty, after all, to ensure the clan's survival. And that meant strength in numbers.

She was so lost in her own thoughts that she completely lost track of Tamlen, that is, until she bumped right into him. He stumbled a bit, but she fell flat on her backside.

"Hey! Watch it lethallan!" she warned, glaring up at him.

He smiled. "I'm sorry. Here, let me help you." He extended his hand and pulled her to her feet. "You know, you should really pay more attention. Now take a look at this. It's amazing! This statue, lethallan, you recognize it, don't you?"

She came closer to the carved rock and ran her hand over it. It seemed oddly recognizable to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Back when our people lived in Arlathan, statues like these honored the Creator. When the shems enslaved us, much of that lore was lost," he moved closer to her and the statue. "This looks like human architecture with a statue of our people. Can these ruins date back to the time of Arlathan?"

She looked to him, watching the fascination glaze over his eyes. "It's interesting: so much of our past is lost to us…"

Tamlen didn't seem to even hear her. "I can't believe that ancient elves might have lived here…with humans!"

Slowly, she turned and spotted the corpses lying about the ground. They looked to be like soldiers from the past who met their untimely end down in this ruin.

_'But what ended their lives, I wonder?'_

"One more room Tamlen, then we are out of here."

He turned to her, realizing at the sound of his name that she meant business. He sighed and shook his head, clucking his tongue.

"Okay, okay lethallan. One more room. Not like this place has much else to offer anyways."

He leaned on the wall before the door and she reached towards it, ready to push open their last barrier before they would finally return to the surface. Surely the keeper would be wondering about their whereabouts by now.

Suddenly, they heard a low growl and the clanking of old, rusted armor. Her head turned ever so slightly and she ducked just in time to miss the old blade that tried to take her head off. Tamlen gasped and instinctively began his assault. He cried out in an effort to at least try and stun them, but it was to no avail.

It took only seconds for the elf to clear her head before she immediately drew her blades. She began to run towards the walking corpse that was about to backstab her mate and stabbed it repeatedly in the ribs – or what was left of them. It at least drew the attention away from Tamlen long enough for him to remain unharmed while he concentrated on his own demon.

The corpse lunged towards her, long sword almost completely red from age. He snarled as she dodged it and rolled to the side. She slid on her knees until she could regain her footing and immediately she charged. She kept low and focused on the foe ahead of her. With one swift movement, she had stabbed through the bones in its shoulder to pin it slightly, then her other blade came to finish the job. In a flash, her blade made its way through the corpse like a hot knife through butter. Its head rolled to the floor, and the corpse collapsed once again.

Tamlen rushed up to her, the monster he faced on the ground now as well. He held her at arms length to check for any injuries she might have sustained, but nothing that he could see had scratched her perfect skin.

"One more," she warned again, then walked to the door and opened it quickly.

The room was vast with many arches connecting to the top of the ceiling, creating a rounded dome. The stones around were still just as ancient, but in the middle stood a beautiful mirror, almost completely unscathed from the years of neglect. She wanted to marvel at its beauty, but was distracted by the litter of bones and old rags that were strewn about the room. The smell was almost overwhelming. It was the smell of death, and something else - something not of this world.

It showed its ugly face just then. It had four legs, fur, the build and height of a bear. Yet it was not. What stood before them was twisted beyond what even the Creators could even imagine. Its eyes glowed red, its teeth were much too large for its mouth as it chomped on a fresh arm. Although it had fur, it was tainted an odd color of sickly violet and spikes of bone jutted out from its body. It was not a bear any longer. Something had taken over its being, something sick, and now it had them alone down here, all to itself.

"Look out!"

She froze. Her limbs refused to move as the beast charged at her. She saw its eyes in great detail, the shape and size of the iris, the dilated pupils. She could smell its terrible breath, felt the heat on her skin as it drew closer still to her. She was going to die. It was inevitable. Her curiosity would be the death of her.

"Aerianes!"

Her name snapped her out of it. And the hard ground hitting her body brought her back to reality. Tamlen shielded her as the beast hit the wall, causing debris to fall from the ceiling and surround them. The moment the beast regained itself, Tamlen was on it. He climbed its back as it reared and tried to buck him off. He drew his sword and sunk the blade deep into its back, its side, its neck, and then finally, into its head. Then cursed bear fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Aerianes!" he cried again, dropping his shield and sword and rushing to her side. He ran his hands over her body quickly to check for any injury. When he saw no bleeding, aside from the scrapes on her knees and elbows, he breathed an immense sigh of relief. "I thought I was going to lose you. Come on, we aren't staying another moment in this cursed place."

But her gaze was transfixed. She pointed ahead of her and Tamlen stopped. He followed her finger and his mouth dropped in awe. He now saw the mirror as well, and its beauty overtook him.

"I guess we found something now, didn't we?" Aerianes asked, a small smirk spreading across her face. She got to her feet and the two of them walked closer to it.

The mirror itself was over 8 feet tall. It towered over the two elves and it shone magnificently in the darkness of the room. Strange carvings covered the edges of the mirror and neither of them could understand what they meant. Still, it was captivating.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Tamlen marveled. "I wonder what the writing says?"

Aerianes grinned. "Don't touch the glass?"

He laughed. "Not that we'd leave a fingerprint on it. See how clean it is? Not a single smudge or crack." He took a few steps closer and peered at the edges. "I wonder what this writing is for. Maybe this isn't – hey, did you see that?"

Something made her senses go on red alert. That mirror wasn't right. "Get away from it Tamlen."

"Hold on," he hushed. "I just want to know what it is. Don't you see it? There it is again! I think it…knows we're here. I just need to take a closer look." As he neared the reflective surface, his eyes clouded over and his hand reached out to touch it. The mirror almost seemed to tremble at the touch and a red aura surrounded Tamlen's hand. He peered even closer. "I see a great city…underground? And there's a blackness. I think it saw me…."

Suddenly, the mirror grew brighter. The entire ruin itself seemed to quake as the mirror awoke. It shone brightly enough to blind them both, and Tamlen was screaming.

"Help! I can't look away!"

Then there was a great light that pushed her back and everything went black. There was nothing except a far off voice telling her he was sorry.

"Tamlen…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Part One  
Chapter Two**

**A Tear in the Open**

* * *

A light seemed to flash in her head constantly, like a beacon that was dragging her forward, away from the dark. She was hurt, she felt sick, and her memory seemed slightly fuzzy. For some reason, she couldn't seem to remember where she was or what was going on. There was a commotion outside and she wanted to see what was going on, but for some reason she just couldn't summon the strength to even open her eyes.

"She must be dreaming…"

"This sickness is of nothing I've seen before. All we can do now is wait Ashalle. I've done all I can…"

"Lethallan…Hey…Lethallan…Aerianes!"

Her eyes opened and she saw Tamlen in front of her, standing there, smiling. She was confused. He stood in the middle of a vast blackness, seeming to just float in mid air, and all the while, staring at her. Her heart skipped and she tried to get up, but something was holding her back, something strong and not of this world.

"Come on sleepy head! It's time to go."

"Tamlen? Where are we going? What's going on?" she asked.

He just kept grinning at her, no real emotion behind his eyes that she could see. It felt wrong. Something about him was not right. She felt a presence around her that was not Tamlen, but something strong, and dangerous. Suddenly, she was standing before him and he was trying to take her hand.

"I'll show you!" he urged. "Come on! I'll show you the city. It's beautiful there! There's so much to do, and elves and humans live there together in peace. It's wonderful, lethallan. I want to take you with me."

She pulled her hand back, unsure of what to do. "Tamlen…where are we? I don't understand any of this. Where is the mirror?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What mirror? You're talking so weird. Now come on, it's time to go."

Aerianes shook her head. "No, Tamlen. We need to go back to the keeper. We're sick. We need help."

He frowned at her. "We don't need anyone else anymore. Don't you want to be with me?"

He grabbed at her arm, this time much more roughly. Aerianes winced and tried to resist, but his grip was strong, and his touch burned her.

"You're mine!"

"Tamlen! Stop! Stop please!"

His face changed. She could see the hatred in his eyes; eyes that were no longer his own. Aerianes cried out as they burned into her very soul. His skin melted away to reveal a green fleshy substance that bubbled and dripped off of his bones. His teeth became sharper than daggers and his hands became as skinny as bones, with fingernails that dug deep into her skin, blood running in between them.

"You're mine, all mine!"

"Tamlen!"

She shot out of bed, sweat beading on her forehead, her breath had left her and she was trying desperately to catch it. She held the sheets close to her bare chest until her knuckles were white from the stress. She could hear voices and it made her jump out of the makeshift bed and wrap the blanket around her for safety. Something was coming for her. She saw the shadow outside the tent slowly making its way to her. She had no bow, no quiver, and no blade. She was as good as dead.

"Oh thank the gods! You're awake! You've the gods own luck, lethallan!"

It was only one of the other hunters, coming in to check on the commotion she was making. She supposed that no one in the clan expected her to survive.

"What's going on?" Aerianes finally asked after her heart began to slow.

"You're back at camp. Everyone is worried sick about you! How are you feeling?"

That was when she realized that they were the only two in the tent. Her intuition told her something was awry. She brushed a piece of dark brown hair out of her eyes and sighed.

"I'm worried. Where is Tamlen?"

The hunter grew somber. "We don't know. The shem who brought you here saw no sign of him."

Her ears perked. "There was a human?"

He furrowed his brows in confusion. "A shem brought you back here two days ago. You…don't remember?"

She gasped, her sheet almost falling as she covered her mouth. She quickly repositioned it to cover herself, her face flushing in both embarrassment and frustration. "I've been here for two days?!"

He nodded. "Yes. You were delirious with fever. The Grey Warden brought you back into camp with you slung over his shoulder. He said he found you unconscious and alone outside a cave. He left you here and ran off again. The keeper's been using the old magic to heal you."

He heart began to race again. Two days of her lying here helpless and no trace of Tamlen yet? This didn't make sense. They were together in that ruin, how could he just disappear?

"Is anyone looking for Tamlen?" she asked with desperation.

"Of course! Our hunter's are looking for him right now!" He turned slightly, getting ready to make his leave. "But the keeper wanted to talk to you as soon as you woke. Get dressed and I'll go get her."

Aerianes did as told. Her leather armor was lying on the grass beside her bed and she quickly pulled it on over her still damp body. Why did she feel so cold when the summer heat was still upon them? Perhaps it was only because she just rose out of bed. But that didn't explain the perspiration she was experiencing. Something felt off…not right.

"I see you're awake, da'len. It's fortunate Duncan found you when he did."

The keeper had walked in on her while she still pulled her boots on. She was an old elf, far older than Aerianes could imagine elves today could age. Perhaps she was one of the ancients who still held on to their lifespan before elves were quickened by the shem? Aerianes wasn't sure. But she did know that the keeper was wise, the leader and the protector of their clan. It was up to her where they went, who would hunt, who would heal, who would craft. She kept their world in a perfect balance. Aerianes respected her and aspired to one day be as wise as she in the elven ways; even if she would never become keeper herself.

As Aerianes stood, the keeper, Marethari, walked up to her and felt her forehead. She frowned, the wrinkles on her tattooed face deepening with worry. Aerianes knew that couldn't be a good sign, but they had other pressing matters to take care of first.

"I know not what dark power held you," Marethari continued. "But it nearly bled the life from you. It was difficult even for my magic to keep you alive."

Aerianes frowned. "What happened to us?"

"I know only that the Grey Warden found you in front of a cave, sick and alone. Duncan thought there may have been darkspawn creatures inside that cave." She turned and looked at Aerianes in the eyes, pleading for answers. "Is it true?"

The young elf glared and crossed her arms. "Why listen to anything a shem says?" she spat.

Marethari frowned and shook her head, disappointed in the hunter. "The Grey Wardens are an honorable order, da'len, and we Dalish have enough enemies. Now, was he correct?"

She had heard of darkspawn before. But in her short life upon this earth, never had she come across one. She knew that they dwelled in the Deep Roads where the dwarves lived and that they were easy enough to fend off, most of the time. But the elves and the dwarves rarely saw eye to eye in the many centuries of their existence, so they stayed away from each other. With their clan being nowhere near the Frostback Mountains, she knew nothing of the darkspawn.

"I'm not sure, keeper. What does a darkspawn look like?"

"Like a man," she replied flatly. "But dark and tainted with evil. Perhaps you fought one in the cave and it wounded you?"

Aerianes tried to think hard. It was difficult with her head swimming like it was, and her memories still felt foggy. She remembered the spiders…the corpses…that twisted bear…

"There were only monsters, and dead men that walked," she finally answered.

The keeper paced, a look of worry written across her face. "Walking corpses? Dark magic, but not darkspawn. I know not what those other creatures might have been. What else did you find? What else do you remember?"

She remembered it clear as day now. That reflective surface that drew in her clan-mate.

"A mirror," Aerianes answered softly. "Tamlen…he touched it."

She heard the keeper suck in her breath and stop pacing. "A mirror? And it caused all this? I have never heard of such a thing in all the lore we have collected." She continued to pace, but now she sighed and turned from Aerianes, obviously frustrated by this turn of events. "I was hoping for answers when you woke, but there are only more questions. Do you feel well enough to show us the way, da'len? Without you, I fear we will not find it."

Aerianes straightened her posture, though it made her dizzy to do so, and nodded. "I am up to it keeper. I feel fine."

Marethari's face softened. "I am relieved to hear it. I am ordering the clan to pack the camp so we can go north. Take Merrill with you to the cave and find Tamlen if you can. But you must do it quickly."

Aerianes strapped her quiver and bow to her back and adjusted her dagger sheaths. She looked up to the keeper questionably. "The clan is leaving?"

The keeper nodded. "If there is any truth to what Duncan is saying, then the darkspawn may show up in these parts soon. We must get away from that horde." She turned and looked sternly at the hunter. "But that is not our only concern. Did you encounter any humans out in the forest?"

She nodded. "Three of them. We killed one as an example, keeper."

Marethari shook her head. It still worried her that there was no emotion in Aerianes's voice when she spoke of humans so. Tolerance did have to be found on both sides for any peace to ever work. She sighed and walked out of the tent, the young elf following suit.

"So I feared. You have stirred up a hornet's nest da'len. Their village blames us for your actions. As everywhere else, our people are not welcome here. We have stayed here too long and we must move on quickly."

Aerianes's anger flared up. Everything was seeming to go wrong and her head was spinning with all of this information. She just wanted the world to stop, if only for a moment, so she could catch up.

"You're just going to let those shemlen bastards drive us off?!"

The elder elf smiled gently, releasing any frustration from her gaze. "Our clan could slaughter their entire village if we cared to, but at the cost of bringing their king's rage down on our heads." She reached over and placed a warm hand on Aerianes's cold shoulder. "These are simple people and they have simple fears. This is their land, so we will go peacefully."

The grey eyes met those old green ones with defiance. "Are you not interested in the ruins? In that mirror?"

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't. Yet whatever knowledge lies in that cave is not worth our children. I send you back in hopes of finding Tamlen, and that's all."

"Then why should I take Merrill?"

"Merrill knows a degree of my magic, so Tamlen's chances of surviving are greater with her help. I also wish for Merrill to see this mirror. She has a sense for these things and could shed light on the nature of this illness."

Aerianes cocked an eyebrow. "But won't she risk getting sick as well?"

The keeper turned and smiled. "You recovered, and Merrill will too. Still, be careful. Should you come upon this strange mirror again, do not touch it."

The elf nodded. "I understand."

"Now go quickly. Tamlen's life hangs in the balance."

Aerianes bowed her head in respect. "Pray for me keeper."

She was not happy about taking Merrill with her, and as she walked away from the keeper, she cursed under her breath. Merrill was the apprentice to the keeper; meaning that one day she would be leading the clan when the keeper's time on this earth was finished. Normally, this wouldn't bother Aerianes. After all, they needed a keeper to…well…keep them. However, Merrill was full of herself. Interested mainly in the fact that she will get to boss others around as she 'keeps' the clan and tries to keep them safe from harms reach. Aerianes was not sure if Merrill would be up to the task of caring for others so deeply when she always seemed to be looking out for herself.

The other reason why Aerianes was not Merrill's biggest supporter was because they both competed for the place of keeper. Aerianes took great care when it came to trying to keep the clan safe when she scouted the borders and hunted. She was close with a lot of her clan members and felt their respect for her. However, there is only so much that a warrior can do…and a mage can do so much more.

Most keepers were, in fact, the magic type. They needed more than just the knowledge of potions and poisons to get by. Unfortunately, Aerianes was just not blessed with the talent. So she settled for her role as hunter and had been quite content ever since. However, she always felt the loathing from Merrill whenever they crossed paths, and she had to admit that the feeling was kind of mutual.

It was the keepers order however, and she had to abide by them.

"Lethallan! Hey, lethallan!"

Aerianes stopped in her tracks and saw Maren waving in the distance. She guessed there would be a few who would want to see her before she disappeared again. She walked up the grassy hill, past a few of the makeshift homes and greeted her red headed friend.

Maren smiled with her bright eyes and bowed. "Aneth dera. It's good to see you recovered!"

Aerianes smiled. She looked past Maren into the pen where the majestic white halla grazed. It was Maren's job to look after the creatures while they were at camp. Aerianes could not bring herself to mention the dead halla they crossed in the woods. It would break the poor girl's heart; even if it was just the circle of life.

"How are the halla faring, Maren?"

She looked to the pen as well. "They fare well. The keeper called for the clan to move on, and they will be ready to take us. One is heavy with calf, but it shouldn't be a problem." Her face grew somber as she looked back at her friend. "May I ask of Tamlen's fate? Some say the clan will leave before we find him."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Aerianes replied, steel in her voice.

"The halla mourn the fallen. It is the most heart wrenching sound, their cries. But at least they will not be crying over you. They are quite fond of you." Maren turned and leaned on the wooden gate. "I admire them for their strength and pride. They are our equals; not servants like the shemlen horses…"

Aerianes shifted her stance eagerly. She had to get going before the sun set on the camp. She had little time to barter with friends.

"I'm sorry Maren, but I really must go."

Maren shook her head, returning to the conversation at hand. "I'm sorry, lethallan. Please find Tamlen quickly!"

Aerianes nodded and headed off to the archery row. She needed to restock her quiver before she departed again. She could see Junar practicing with another elf, one she had never met before. She knelt down beside them and started to sharpen the arrows quickly.

"Ah, it's good to see you're well!" Junar exclaimed happily. He and his friend had stopped shooting and stood before Aerianes, offering to help sharpen her arrows. "You weren't here when Pol arrived, were you?"

The new elf nodded and smiled at her. "I've heard of you. Everyone is talking about you and that other hunter. A Grey Warden even brought you back here!"

The thought of a human bringing her back to camp while she was vulnerable made her skin crawl. It stirred the rage in her again. "His name is Tamlen," she snapped. The elf named Pol looked very put off by her rigidity and she sighed, aware that her frustration was affecting her greatly. "I'm sorry. Stress. You're not Dalish, are you?"

Pol laughed. "That obvious is it? I just found your camp a couple days ago. Lucky for me. I had heard rumors in a nearby human village that a Dalish camp was close and I hoped to find your hunters in the forest."

Junar smirked. "You're lucky I didn't shoot you, Pol. I thought you were a shem, and a bandit at that. But you're not the first city elf to rejoin his people. I'm sure you'll find life among us more satisfying than with the shems, if no less harsh."

Pol nodded. "In the Alienage, we hear terrible stories about the Dalish. They aren't…true, right?"

Aerianes scoffed. "You have nothing to worry about, Pol."

The elf sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you. The clan has been very welcoming." He handed her the last of her arrows, all sharpened. "I hope you find your friend. I can sense how important he is to you."

Aerianes took the arrows and nodded. She slung her quiver over her back again and was off. No doubt Merrill would be waiting by the entrance to the forest where she and Tamlen were hunting the other day. The last thing she wanted was to keep her highness waiting too long.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ashalle, her 'mother'. Their eyes met and she could see the concern in the woman's eyes. Aerianes sighed inwardly and made a mental note to keep it very short. Tamlen's life was on a clock now.

Ashalle was Aerianes's parent after her parents were killed many years ago. Aerianes was almost too young to remember what had even happened, but the nightmares still came to her at times. Ashalle was an attentive and loving woman who treated Aerianes like her own daughter. It was touching and she appreciated always having a home to go to. However, Ashalle could be a little too overprotective at times, especially if Aerianes was ill.

"By the creators," Ashalle gasped, her skin warm from the fire next to her as she embraced the elf. "It is so good to see you! I was so worried!"

Aerianes rolled her eyes playfully. "You needn't worry about me so much Ashalle."

The old woman smiled wanly. "I can't help it dear. I've raised you since your poor mother died. I've been outside the keeper's tent the whole time. I have never been as relieved as when I heard you would pull through!" Her eyes softened and she took the young elf's hands in her own. "What happened? Everyone is saying that Tamlen is dead."

Aerianes kept her eyes on the ground. "I wouldn't say, not just yet."

Ashalle sighed. "That's awful. I know how much you and the lad cared for each other. It was always my hope that you two…someday… well, best not to dwell on it." She cupped Aerianes's face and wagged a finger at her. "But you must be more careful! If you were ever hurt badly… your parents – may they rest in peace – would never forgive me! Now hurry and try to find Tamlen quickly!"

The hunter smiled and nodded. She turned and ran for the outskirts of the camp. From a distance, she could see Merrill waiting for her, tapping her foot impatiently. Her short brown hair was motionless in the breeze and her short stature made it look comical whenever she had her staff slung on her back, like now. It stood out too far from her head, and it took much practice for her to bring it out in battle without dropping it or hitting something…or someone.

Aerianes made a mental note not to bicker. They had much more important things to attend to. She reached Merrill and nodded, catching her breath. Merrill just stood there, arms still crossed, foot still tapping.

"The keeper told me I am to accompany you back to these caves. As her apprentice," she put extra emphasis on that word. "I may see something you missed. But our main objective is to find Tamlen. We must make haste; he may not have much time."

"Aren't you…worried about getting…sick?" Aerianes panted, still catching her breath. Why was a simple jog taking so much out of her? Her body felt like a dead weight and her head felt as though she had one too many types of ale at a campfire.

Merrill looked thoughtful. "A little. But the keeper cured you. How dangerous could it really be? Even if I get sick, finding Tamlen – or something of value – will be worth it."

Aerianes cringed inwardly at the way she was taking this. Tamlen was something of value. Nothing would be okay again until he was found. And it was not as if she were some child who was faking sick! Something was very wrong in those ruins, and something made her feel the cold hands of death reach out for her. She was worried, as Merrill should be.

"Then let's go before we run out of daylight."

The two elves rushed into the woods, back to where it all began; back to where Aerianes life changed, and was changing still…


	3. Chapter 3

**Part One  
Chapter Three**

**Have You Got It In You?**

* * *

Tamlen was sick. She knew it. She could only imagine how bad it would be without the keeper's magic to help him. Aerianes was desperate to find him. Her mind was running through a thousand possibilities as to why he was not with her when she left the cave. How did she even make it out of the cave? Why couldn't she remember? Did Tamlen leave her there and run off? Did someone else take him? It was all so confusing for her to understand. All she could do was pray to the gods that Tamlen would be safe when they found him, and that they could get him back to the keeper in time.

Merrill was following behind her as she crept slowly through the forest. Although time was of the essence, it would do them no good if they died from a hungry pack of wolves just trying to get to him. Aerianes could sense Merrill's impatience, and it annoyed her. Mage's didn't understand the kind of stealth required while in the forest. Gods only knew what could be lurking behind every tree trunk.

"What do you think happened to Tamlen?" Aerianes finally asked to break the tension.

Merrill sighed. "I'm not sure. All that I know is that if he is as sick as you were, then he has little time before the leaves this world. We must be quick Aerianes."

"Shh!" she hushed the elf and pulled her down into the bushes. Something didn't smell right. She sniffed the air and listened. She could hear something in the distance, some sort of low grumbling that sent chills up her spine. Aerianes slowly rose from her crouching position and peered over the bushes. Her eyes widened and fear froze her to her spot.

She had never seen one before. She had heard so many tales from the keeper and the other elders, but never could she imagine how grotesque they truly were. They fed on the wolves and halla that Tamlen and she encountered earlier. The animals already had the stench of foul meat and she swore she could see maggots feasting in the open gashes of the carcasses. But these…atrocities seemed to take no notice. They looked like lizard men with no snouts, only flat surfaces where a nose should have gone. Their eyes were yellow and red and they had teeth like a shark. These ones were short, and wore armor and held onto weapons. They were warriors, she guessed. But they were the darkspawn.

Aerianes dropped quickly back down before they saw her; although they seemed quite enthralled in their meal. She tried to clear her head and rid herself of the fear and horror in her mind. Merrill furrowed her brows in question, but all Aerianes could do was place a finger on her lips to continue to hush her. Talking now would be a bad idea. Slowly, her thoughts returned to her. She heard many stories about the carnage a horde could leave in its wake and the way the darkspawn tortured many of their prisoners before death. However, theses were only two. Surely a mage and a warrior could handle it.

Aerianes motioned for Merrill to follow her. Slowly, silently they crept through the trees to get closer to the monsters. The hunter got a closer look at their adversaries and noticed their weapons. One had a spear, the other had a bow. It would be easy to dispatch of them as long as they were quick about it. She looked back at Merrill and put her mouth to her ear.

"When I say go, you take down the one closest to you."

Merrill was about to ask what she was talking about, but Aerianes covered her mouth, shaking her head. She then left Merrill where she was and snuck to the higher cliff behind the darkspawn. She mentally calmed herself and drew a deep breath. She brought out an arrow and tensed it in her bow.

'_1…2…3!'_

"NOW! MERRILL!"

The mage and the hunter shot up from the bushes and attacked. The two little creatures had no time to defend themselves until it was too late. Merrill used an arcane bolt to take down one, and Aerianes planted an arrow between the eyes of its partner. The two darkspawn slowly fell to the ground, their life blown out as quickly as the flame of a candle.

The elves slid down the cliffs and stood over their victims. Merrill looked frantic. Aerianes, on the other hand, seemed calmer than she should be.

"What were those things?!" Merrill exclaimed. "Were those darkspawn?!"

"I'm…I'm not sure…I suppose so." Aerianes answered, replacing her bow.

Merrill kneeled down to get a closer look as the blood oozed from their wounds. "I've never seen anything like them." She crinkled her nose. "You can smell the evil on them. Where did they come from? Were they here before?"

Aerianes shook her head. "No. But maybe the mirror had something to do with it."

Merrill frowned and stood up, brushing her hands and knees. "But what would darkspawn have to do with our people? The stories say Arlathan fell long before the darkspawn appeared. I guess we'll find out soon enough," she continued, looking further down the twisting path. "Let's just hope we don't run into anymore of those monsters." She turned to Aerianes and studied her face. "But before we go, are you all right? You weren't hurt in the fight, were you?"

The hunter cocked her eyebrow. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Merrill studied her closer, her face becoming a little too close for comfort for Aerianes. She stepped back and twitched. Merrill sighed. "It's just that you're…quite pale. You look a bit feverish, in fact."

She did feel feverish. Her blood felt as though it were on fire and rushing through every vein in her body. She could only hope that it was the adrenaline pumping in their effort to find her missing clan-mate. She could only shake her head. "I'm sure it's just the exertion."

The mage didn't look convinced. "Well, in any case, I'll keep my eye on you. You have only just recovered from your illness. We have to move on. Let's go."

Aerianes nodded and focused on the path ahead. They kept an ear out for anymore darkspawn or monsters that may be lurking. Now that they encountered a few, there was no doubt that more would soon come. It was imperative that they find Tamlen and get the clan moving as fast as possible.

It felt like hours before Aerianes began to recognize the trees again. She knew the cave was not far now. She could smell the evil that hung in the air as they neared it. She could feel the mirror's very presence, and it chilled her to the bone. As the sun began to set, they quickened their pace.

It wasn't too much longer until they found their first signs of life, real life, it seemed. A few paces ahead they found someone's camp, the fire pit still smoking and smelling of cooked meat. The two women stopped and examined the surroundings. Aerianes placed a hand over the ashes to test the warmth. Whoever had been here, they had left only hours ago. Could it have been Tamlen? Had he found his way back to camp already? Why would he stop and make a fire, and not just get back to the clan as fast as he could?

Merrill interrupted her thoughts. "I wonder whose camp this is. Was this here before? Do you remember?"

Aerianes shook her head. "No, it wasn't here before. This one is fresh."

"The Grey Warden said he was heading back into the forest. Perhaps this is his camp? If so, he's not here now, and we've seen no signs of Tamlen. Maybe we should – wait, do you hear that?"

The hunter perked her ears and concentrated. She could hear nothing. No snap of twigs, no rustle of the trees…no noises from the animals…

"No forest creatures. It's too quiet here."

Merrill looked around them. "Exactly. The forest is too still. Something is in the air, something unnatural."

Aerianes brought out her bow again, just to be safe, and placed an arrow loosely in the string. "Careful. I don't like this."

Her partner had removed her staff as well. "It seems whatever you woke up inside that cave has…spread outside. Look, the sooner we find this cave and Tamlen, the sooner we can leave. Take us there quickly!"

But Aerianes was not focused on Merrill's whining anymore. Her gaze went past her, and onto the four darkspawn that were gaining distance, and fast. Merrill turned and gasped. She quickly began to ready her spells to take care of them.

The bad thing about being a mage is if you aren't in hiding to cast your spells, you are left to the mercy of your enemy's inaccuracy. Luckily, Aerianes wasn't about to let her spells be interrupted. She ran forward, her bow tensed. She stood mere feet away from the first monster and released the arrow. It grabbed it in the shoulder and flung it backward into a tree, pinning it in the spot. It roared in frustration as it tried to pull its limb free, but the arrow held true.

Aerianes smirked and turned her attention to the remaining three that continued. It was then that she noticed the one hanging in the background, its own arrow ready to fly. She eyed the trajectory of the arrow and gasped. Immediately she began to run back to Merrill, praying she could make it in time.

She heard the arrow being shot from the bow even from all that distance. In her mind's eye, she saw it arch through the air and begin it descent to the ground – or, more specifically – towards Merrill. The mage was to engulfed in her spell to notice or move.

'_Come on…Faster…'_

The hunter sprinted as fast as her feet could take her. She could only hope that the darkspawn archer had not released another to take care of her. She was only so talented to follow one at a time.

She ran up a fallen log and jumped, putting everything she had into her leg strength. She flew through the air and miraculously caught the arrow mid-flight and quickly returned the favor to the archer. She fell to the ground hard and felt her back crack under her weight. She groaned aloud and shook her head to try and clear it.

"Gods steady my hand…" she heard Merrill murmur. Then with a swift swoop of her staff, a wave of flames emerged from seemingly nowhere and roasted the advancing warriors. They stopped and flailed about until finally they fell to the forest ground and stopped their noises.

Merrill stopped and reached over to Aerianes, helping her up. Slowly, the hunter rose to her feet and picked up her bow. They still had the one pinned to the tree to take care of. It was still screeching and trying to wriggle out from the arrow's grasp. Aerianes could feel its evil and its hate coursing through it, like a plague. Slowly she neared it, unsheathing her dagger as she got closer. It snarled and snapped at her as she got within arms reach. Then, in a quick motion, she slit its throat and the screeches turned to gurgles as the blood poured from its throat.

'_So help you all if anything has happened to Tamlen.'_

Merrill was a few steps ahead of her and looking down into a rocky cavern. She turned to Aerianes as the elf wiped her blade and put it back in its case. The two elves climbed down the rocky terrain carefully and dropped into the black abyss.

* * *

When they reached the entrance to the ruins, the memories quickly flashed back to only a few days ago when she and Tamlen were there. It broke Aerianes's heart to remember Tamlen as someone in her past. She didn't want to admit it, but she was losing hope quickly about her clan-mate being alive.

The two elves stopped at the first room and Merrill took in their surroundings. She sucked in her breath and looked over at the hunter.

"So these are the ruins? Interesting." She walked about the room and touched a few of the dusty artifacts gently. When she removed her hand, Aerianes could see the layer of dust that was swept away. Merrill looked over to her. "We must find Tamlen – or what is left of him. I can't imagine he's still alive with those creatures running about."

Aerianes's blood felt as though it were on fire again. But this time it was not because of her feeling sick. She glared at Merrill and took a few threatening steps towards her.

"Don't you talk like that! You don't know!"

Merrill's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then her face softened and she looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry. You're right, lethallan. We should go further before I make any conclusions. Please, lead the way."

It was the first time that Merrill ever respected her enough to call her by that title. Aerianes thanked her mentally for it.

They continued through the next rooms, careful not to wake any lingering spider or ghoul as they walked. However, soon they came across a peculiar scene. Darkspawn lay slain across the ruin's floors; many of them. It seemed whatever powerhouse of a warrior came through had no intention of letting even one survive. The carnage was everywhere in the ruin; and while most of the blood pooled on the floor, staining their boots, arterial blood splattered the stone walls as well. Aerianes could tell that whoever fought this battle, fought with a ferocity she had never seen.

"Tamlen…"

They were almost upon the mirror. Only one more long stretch of hallway to go and hopefully they would find the missing hunter. But something felt off to Aerianes. And it wasn't until something dark flashed in her peripherals that she knew what it was.

Darkspawn had gotten into the ruin.

Merrill was already beginning one of her spells. This time, she would have to be extra careful not to cause a cave in with her magic, but still be able to snuff out the lives of these creatures. She closed her eyes and concentrated.

Aerianes knew what to do. She began to knock back the arrows that pelted at them and tried her best to defend the mage as her spell was in the making. She concentrated on the attack ahead of her that she almost missed the other three that came up beside them. Now they were surrounded by seven darkspawn. And to top it all off, one was a mage.

The darkspawn took no time in advancing and closing the distance. The archers continued their assault as the warriors drew nearer the two women. Aerianes yelled out defiantly and continued to hack at the arrows trying to pierce through her and Merrill. They were fighting a losing battle. She knew it. She wondered if Merrill knew it as well. This was the part where her life would flash before her eyes; she would see her parents, her clan, Tamlen…then a light that would bring her to the Creators.

"Aerianes!"

It was Merrill's cry for help that brought her back and the hunter had just enough time to try and deflect the missile of magic that was headed for them. She brought out her Dar'Misu dagger jumped in front of Merrill so her armor could at least absorb some of the blow before killing her. She was blown back with Merrill behind her. They fell onto the ground and Merrill's magic went flying out of control. It hit the ceiling above the archers and soon there was a great trembling in the corridor. Rocks began to fall from around the darkspawn and soon they were crushed by the barrage of falling debris.

Aerianes slowly pushed herself up. She looked down at Merrill and saw the blood that seeped from her head. She felt her body tense up as she stared at the lifeless body beneath her. She could hear the darkspawn upon her now, the ones closest to the mirror room. In her mind's eye she could see them lined up perfectly; just the way she wanted them.

She threw down her bow a quiver, unsheathed both daggers and headed towards her adversaries full throttle. The first one she reached was down before she even passed him; she had planted the dagger in its chest where she was sure a heart would be. Next one she tackled and planted the daggers in both eyes sockets. It flailed about momentarily below her, and then it was still.

She eyed the mage and began to head to it. It saw the fierce determination in her eyes and began to back away. It summoned a quick missile spell and launched it towards her. However, she was now acting on the instinct of a Dale. She easily slid under the magic and continued her advance on the creature. Once she was within distance, she leapt into the air and landed on the mage, pinning it to the ground. She then raised one dagger and dug it deep into the mage's neck, severing its head from its body. Blood sprayed about the area, soaking Aerianes's face and armor. The warmth of the viscous liquid felt wonderful against her cold skin. She slowly stood up as the blood stopped flowing and wiped her blades.

"A-Aerianes…"

She turned quickly. "Merrill!"

The elf was still alive! She had raised herself up with the help of her staff and stood on two wobbly legs. Aerianes ran to her and held her up with her own body until the elf could get her footing. Her heart beat hard with relief as the mage stood on her own. The blood, she noticed, had come from her back and neck from the fall. And although it would take a potent mix of elfroot and magic, her shredded skin would mend.

Aerianes quickly sheathed her daggers and slung her bow and quiver back over her shoulders. She took Merrill's arm and placed it over her neck to help the mage walk for a while. The two smiled at each other as they walked past the corpses.

"It's just beyond that door."

Merrill let out a small laugh. "Thank the gods."

As they made their way through the door, Aerianes saw the mirror, still shining brightly and beautifully, as if it were just crafted by the most skilled hands. It towered over them and she could now sense the ominous vibe in the room. She shuddered and walked into the room.

Beside the mirror, a man in full armor stood. He seemed to be studying the artifact closely; until he heard the elves enter. He turned and greeted them with a slight bow.

"So you were the one fighting darkspawn? I thought I heard combat. You're the elf I found wondering the forest aren't you? I'm surprised to see you've recovered."

Although his aged and war-worn face was warm and welcoming, Aerianes was not the type to trust a shem who could merely present themselves with some decency. She helped Merrill to stand on her own and turned her heated gaze on the man. "I don't know you, human. Nor do I owe you anything."

Merrill glared at her. "Even if you didn't owe this human your life, a Grey Warden deserves respect."

The man shook his head, his dark hair that was tied back following every move. "She owes me nothing. It was my duty to return an injured Dalish to your clan. Your people have always been allies with the Grey Wardens."

Aerianes scoffed. "I suppose I should thank you."

The man smiled and nodded at the lackluster appreciation. "You're quite welcome. Perhaps you will do the same for me sometime." His dark eyes had a mischievous glint when he said that, Aerianes didn't seem as put off by it. "My name is Duncan, and it's a pleasure to finally meet you. The last time we spoke, you were barely conscious."

Merrill, always the glory hog, took to the conversation right away. She bowed her head and replied, "Andaran atish'an, Duncan of the Grey Wardens. I am Merrill, the keeper's apprentice."

Duncan did not take his eyes away from Aerianes, which made her quite happy to steal Merrill's thunder for once. "Your keeper did not send you after me did she? I told her I would be in no danger."

The hunter smirked. "We're not in the habit of rescuing humans."

The human grinned back. "It's a good thing I don't return the feeling, wouldn't you say?" He turned back to the mirror that shone magnificently in the darkness. "So you and your friend both entered this cave and you saw this mirror?"

Aerianes's heart skipped. "You found some trace of Tamlen?" she pleaded with hope filled eyes.

The Grey Warden shook his head. "No. Nor do I think I will. The Grey Wardens have seen artifacts like this mirror before. It is Tevinter in origin, used for communication. Over time some of them simply…break. They become filled with the same taint as the darkspawn. Tamlen's touch must have released it." He turned back to the hunter and kept his eyes locked on hers. "It is what made you sick. And Tamlen too, I presume."

Aerianes nodded slightly. "So it's true. I had the darkspawn plague."

"You have it still," Duncan replied. "And it will infect others so long as this mirror exists. Your recovery is only temporary. I can sense the darkness in you, and it is spreading. Look inside yourself and you will see."

She knew it, deep in her bones, she knew it. The fever that did not go away, the dampness on her skin that seemed sickly in and of itself. She had the taint, and now her life was going to end painfully and without mercy. Aerianes cringed and stared at her feet. "Perhaps…there is…some truth to what you say."

Duncan seemed to not notice her despair and continued. "Confirm it with your keeper later if you like. For now, we must deal with this mirror," he turned to the mirror again and drew his long sword. "It is a danger."

He raised his arms high and brought the blade down upon the glass, shattering it into hundreds of shards that littered the ground. Aerianes was almost sure she could hear a scream of frustration when it happened, and it hurt her head to hear it. She stood still as the aura in the room lifted…if only a bit. She looked back that the Warden who had replaced his sword and walked back over to the women.

"It is done," he motioned to the door. "Now let's leave this place. I must speak with the keeper immediately regarding your cure."

Aerianes panicked. "What about Tamlen?!"

"There is nothing we can do," he answered.

"B-But I'm still alive! He could be too!"

Duncan stopped and turned to her again, sincerity in his eyes, but not in his voice. "Let me be very clear; there is nothing you can do for him. He's been tainted for three days now, unaided. Through your keeper's healing arts and your own willpower, you did not die. But Tamlen has no chance. I'm sorry, but trust me when I say that he is gone." He turned again and headed to the door. "Now, we should return."

"There would at least be a body, right?" Aerianes pleaded, desperate to change this human's mind.

"The darkspawn would have taken it."

Merrill stepped forward. "Taken it where? What would they do with him?"

Duncan sighed and turned again, this time being as sincere as his patience could allow. "The darkspawn are evil creatures and it's best to leave it at that. I truly am sorry."

The hunter held back the tears that stung in her eyes as she tried to come to terms with what this human was telling her. Tamlen was dead. Her Tamlen. Her Friend. He was never coming back, no matter how hard she wished it or cried for him. Her body trembled and it took all of her strength not to break down right there and give up her emotions. She kept her gaze fixed on the floor and continued her silence.

Merrill was the one to finally break the spell and placed a reassuring hand on Aerianes's shoulder. "Can we…just leave the cave like this? Is it safe?"

Duncan nodded. "With the mirror destroyed, I doubt the darkspawn will return."

"Can we return later and search through the ruins? We could learn from many things here besides the mirror."

"The cave is not safe," the human replied. "Everything here has been exposed to the mirror's taint. If your people come here, they should cleanse it with fire."

"Very well," Aerianes finally said through clenched teeth and fists. "Let's return to the clan."

Duncan nodded and stood in the doorway. "I sense no other darkspawn nearby. It's safe. Head on."

And as they left, Aerianes left a trail of silent tears, hoping with all her might that maybe Tamlen would find them, and return to her.


	4. Chapter 4

Part One  
Chapter Four

You Can't Go Back

* * *

The journey back to the clan was uneventful. Duncan seemed to be right about the darkspawn no longer being interested now that the mirror was destroyed. The forest was still too quiet for the elf's liking, but there was not much that could be done about that, she supposed.

Aerianes could feel the sickness inside of her growing. Her breath was growing faint and rapid, her head felt as thought someone had taken a torch to it, and her skin was pale and clammy. She couldn't keep focused on the path ahead of them, and every so often her foot would catch a rock or a root and she would stumble. Moving seemed like such a tiring feat and all she wanted to do was curl up and go to sleep.

Merrill saw her actions from her peripheral vision and came up next to her. "Lethallan, are you okay? You look terrible."

But Aerianes did not feel like talking. She could hardly summon the strength to form any words in her mouth. She simply continued on the path back to the clan, unaware that she even fell to the ground and hit her face on a rock.

"By the Creators! Duncan! Duncan! Please stop! Aerianes is hurt!"

The Grey Warden stopped and turned to the elves. The hunter was indeed on the ground and bleeding. He ran back to them and knelt, propping the elf on his knee with her head in his arm. He took a cloth from his armor and poured some water from his bag onto it and started to dab the blood off of her face. He could smell the evil growing inside of her, and he knew that they had to get back to camp quickly before the taint took over. He needed her more than she really knew, and it was imperative that she remained alive, even if she didn't want to live.

"We need to stop, let her have some time. She just lost someone she held so dear to her heart," Merrill pleaded with Duncan. She was sincere in her request, and it touched the human to see such compassion from someone who didn't care too much for this hunter. However, they had to get back now, or it would be too late.

"We keep going," he replied, picking out a flask from his pouch. The liquid inside glowed eerily and a puff of smoke came out as he uncorked the glass. He tilted Aerianes's head back and poured the concoction into her mouth slowly, allowing her time to swallow. Slowly, warmth returned to her body, and her breathing slowed.

Merrill sat wide-eyed. "What was that? A miracle?"

The human shook his head. "No, it is only a poultice to help her health. Her condition is not as bad as when I found her last time. The keeper can heal her easily. But we must get back there today. This woman's life hangs in the balance."

He placed both arms under the small woman and hoisted her up. In a short amount of time, she would be able to walk again, but they could not afford to wait. He stood up and began to walk again, the mage not far behind. He looked down at the young woman and sighed. He wondered how many more lives were going to be ruined until the darkspawn retreated back to the Deep Roads where, for the moment, they belonged. Duncan felt bad that this elf had lost something so dear, but she needed to keep up her strength if she was going to be of any use to him.

* * *

Twilight had fallen upon the camp by the time they returned. Aerianes was well enough to walk on her own, if not slowly though. She kept her gaze to the ground so no one could ask her of Tamlen before they went to the keeper. It was times as dire as theses that she wished a great hole would just swallow her up.

Marethari was waiting for them outside of her tent, busying herself with others while they made potions and poisons for the road. When she saw the three coming towards her, she excused herself and went to them. Aerianes could see the age on her face clearly now, and the bags under her eyes indicated she had not slept since they had left to search for Tamlen.

"I am relieved you have returned!" she exclaimed, embracing both elves. "And I did not expect to see you again so soon, Duncan."

The Grey Warden bowed. "I was not expecting to return so soon either, keeper."

The keeper searched their faces and looked quickly around the camp. Her face grew somber and she looked at Aerianes. "Dare I ask of Tamlen? What did you find of him?"

The elf's eyes welled up with tears and finally she let them go silently, the warm liquid running down her face, and burning on the gash in her cheek. "The…Grey Warden says we…we will find nothing."

"I see," the keeper replied, her voice soft. She placed a hand on Aerianes's shoulder and squeezed. She felt the taint that came through her and gasped. Quickly she had two elves bring a bench and sat the hunter down. She quickly got to work on her, casting as many healing spells she knew to try and ward off the evil energy that coursed through the elf's veins.

"Merrill, what about the mirror?" she finally asked. "Did you bring anything back?"

"I can answer that, keeper," Duncan interrupted. Merrill glared at his back. "I destroyed the mirror."

Marethari scoffed. "I intended to find a cure for this mysterious illness. I trust you had good reasons for your actions?"

"There is much to discuss keeper. I have learned a great deal since I was last here."

The old woman sighed and looked back to the young elf. She smiled at her and placed a hand on her face gently. "I am done here, da'len. There is nothing else that I can do." She looked back to the human. "Let us speak privately within my aravel then Duncan. Merrill, warn the hunters. If darkspawn are about, I want the clan prepared."

Merrill bowed. "Ma nuvenin, keeper. Right away."

"Da'len," Marethari continued, "allow me some time to speak with Duncan. Seek me out at my aravel later and we can discuss your cure."

"Very well keeper." Aerianes mumbled.

"Tell Hahren Paivel what has occurred," she continued. "He now has the sad task of preparing a service for the dead. Follow me Duncan. I am eager to hear what you have to say."

They left her there, alone on the bench with her own thoughts and self pity. She felt as though she could die at any moment. She had known Tamlen her whole life, and now he was just gone…and she had to accept it? She wasn't sure if she could. It would never be the same hunting through the forests without him…she would never be used to another clan-mate. What was worse was that she would never be able to tell him how she felt about him. She was sure that she really did love him, and now he would never hear those words escape her lips. It tore at her heart to think of it.

Slowly, she gained her balance to stand up. She still had a duty to do still, and she had to continue on, for the good of the clan.

She was about to leave when she saw Ashalle running up to her. Aerianes paused and waited for her to catch up, the lump in her throat not going away.

"Thank the Creators you're safe!" Ashalle cried. "I questioned the keeper's wisdom at sending you off while you're still sick, but my doubts were misplaced." Her face lost its light as she looked around the hunter. "But Tamlen is not with you. Is it as everyone fears?"

Aerianes choked out the words, "I…don't want to talk about it, Ashalle."

She nodded. "I understand. It's such a terrible thing. The poor boy…" She returned her gaze to the young woman and smiled sadly. "Please take care of yourself! We…I… can't bear to lose anyone else."

She felt fresh tears threaten to show themselves again and Aerianes turned quickly. "I think I need to go."

Ashalle placed one hand on her head and stroked her hair once, as she used to when Aerianes was just a child. "You make me very proud."

Aerianes let out a mournful cry and ran off. She needed to be away from the pity, away from the stares. She wasn't sure if she could handle it. But she knew a service had to be done, it was only right. She slowed her pace and walked over to the large fire pit where Hahren Paivel stood with some of the children. He was almost as old as the keeper herself, and told of the lore of the Dales. He was a kind man who was never harsh with Aerianes, although she knew sometimes she could be insufferable.

He must have sensed her presence, for he turned to her and embraced her. "So you return with the Grey Warden, but without Tamlen. What happened da'len? Is he truly lost to us?"

"It-It's my fault Hahren…" Aerianes sputtered between silent sobs. "I failed…I failed the clan."

Paivel's expression was not one of anger or pity. He only wanted to make Aerianes feel better. He held her at arms' length and looked her in the eyes. "You've done nothing of the sort da'len. Do not blame yourself." He walked back over to the fire and they both watched the flames dance about and lick the wood as it burned into the night. "It seems it is the will of the Creators that I sing the dirge for those I held in my arms as babes. I think I know why our immortal ancestors should sleep.

"Swiftly do the stars burn a path across the sky, hast'ning to place one last kiss upon our eye."

Aerianes felt terrible. No matter what anyone told her, she felt the sting of guilt and failure to the clan. She cried inwardly and looked over at Paivel. "Would you prepare a service for Tamlen, please?"

"Of course," Paivel replied kindly. "We've no body to return to the soil, but we shall still sing for Tamlen. The Creators must come to guide him to the Beyond. Tell the keeper it shall be done before the clan is ready to move on."

Aerianes smiled. "Thank you, Hahren."

As she turned to return and wait for the keeper, she noticed the two emerge from her aravel.

_'That was quick.'_

She ran over to them and stopped, awaiting their answer to her cure, her heart pounding in her chest like a hammer.

"Your keeper and I have spoken, and we have come to an arrangement that concerns you," Duncan began. "You are in need of a cure. When I leave, I hope you will join me. You would make and excellent Grey Warden."

That was it? That was her cure? To vanish from the Dales without a trace? How was that fair? How was that a cure? Her anger rose again towards this human as she clenched and unclenched her fists. "I can't just leave my clan!" she shouted.

"And we would not send you away," Marethari reassured, "but there is more at stake."

Duncan nodded and continued. "The darkspawn taint courses through your veins. That you have recovered at all is remarkable. But eventually, the taint will sicken you and kill you, or worse. The Grey Wardens can prevent that, but it means joining us."

Aerianes shook her head fiercely. "I will not join out of pity," she spat.

"This is not simply just charity on my part," he insisted. "I would not offer this if I did not think you had the makings of a Grey Warden. Let me be clear though, you will likely never return here. We do to fight the darkspawn, a battle that will take us far from you clan. But we need you and others like you."

She turned a frantic eye to the keeper, "Keeper, why should we trust this human?!"

The woman sighed. "A great army of darkspawn gathers in the south. A new Blight threatens the land. We cannot outrun this storm da'len. A long time ago, the Dalish agreed to aid the Grey Wardens against a Blight, should that day arrive. We must honor that agreement," she sharpened her voice and stared intently at the hunter. "It breaks my heart to send you away. As it would to watch you die slowly from this sickness. This is your duty, and your salvation."

Aerianes sighed; what choice did she have really? She could stay with the clan for what little time she had left, probably become useless as the sickness took over her body. The clan would watch her in pain, pitying her, but also thanking the gods that it was not them. Or she could leave, and try her best to do a little bit of good before she left this world. It seemed she didn't really have much of a decision.

"If it is my duty, then I will go."

Duncan smiled. "I welcome you to the order. It is rare to have a Dalish amongst us, but they have always served with distinction."

Marethari beamed, and Aerianes inwardly hoped it was because she was proud, and not because her burden was lessened by her leaving. "I know you'll do your clan proud da'len. Take this ring. It is your heritage and will protect you against the darkspawn to come."

The ring was made of ironbark, a fabled bark that was said to be indestructible. It was a rarity to find and most difficult to craft. It was covered in an intricate design of wolves and the forest and glowed faintly with magic. As she slipped it on her finger, she felt some sort of magic wash over her body and cleanse her very soul. It felt wonderful, and gave her some sort of hope.

"A valuable gift," Duncan said. "So, are you ready to go?"

She snapped out of her trance and looked at the two who stood before her. "So…so soon? But…but…I would like to stay for Tamlen's funeral."

Duncan nodded. "We have much ground to cover, but I cannot deny you that. Say your farewells. Then we must be off."

Aerianes understood. Time again, was of the essence. Marethari wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her away from the Grey Warden. She smiled at her, though it seemed very forced on her face, and her eyes looked to be on the verge of tears. Marethari was never one for emotions and the rambling on of goodbyes, so Aerianes knew that this was all she was going to get from her keeper.

She was grateful.

As she walked through the camp, she let her eyes feast hungrily on the aravels, the plants, the halla, and she could feel the lump rise in her throat. It was not so much that she was sad that she was leaving; but that Tamlen would never again walk through the wilderness with her, or anyone else. She still couldn't believe he was gone. It couldn't sink in for whatever reason, and that placed a pain in her heart that felt like a knife digging into her very organ.

Aerianes could see Paivel gathering the clan and raising the flames of the fire so that they danced towards the stars themselves. He had no body in his possession, so he merely dug a space large enough to fit one of Tamlen's swords and had one of the hunters wrap it in their ceremonial cloth. The service was about to begin, and being Tamlen's clan-mate, she had to help Paivel with the service. Although she was not good at speeches, she had her words prepared for tonight. She would be ready to send him off properly, with promise for retribution for what happened to him. These darkspawn were going to pay for the life they took, to that she would make sure.

She stood next to Paivel as the clan gathered around the fire. He raised his hands to quiet the cries of grief and slow the tears running off of the faces of so many who loved and knew Tamlen. He waved his arms about the fire in an intricate fashion that made the flames glow from green to purple to blue and back to red in a repeated fashion. This was an old magic that was used to call the spirits of the gods so they can come and collect the soul of the departed. Aerianes could only hope that whatever higher power was looking for Tamlen, that they would be able to find his soul.

A hush fell over the crowd as Paivel began to hum an old hymn from long ago. Few things travelled through the ages for the elven race to hold on to; many traditions were lost, but thankfully the sending of the dead was kept. At least the souls of past elves will always be able to rest. Paivel finished his hymn and wiped a tear that fell from his eye. He straightened his posture and addressed the clan softly.

"Love is stronger than death, even though it can't stop death from happening. But no matter how hard death tries, it can't separate people from love." His voice wavered as he continued, threatening to break as his speech resonated throughout the forest. Their surroundings were completely silent for him. "It can't take away our memories, either. In the end, life is stronger than death.

"Tamlen was a cherished lad and a strong hunter. All who knew him loved him dearly, and it is with aching hearts that we say our final goodbye to him tonight. Although we have no body to return to the earth, I am certain the gods will find his soul and take him back to the beginning. May we only remember the good things he brought to us, and may he forever rest in peace."

Aerianes wasn't aware of her own tears until it was her time to speak. She inhaled sharply and looked around at the faces of her fellow clan, all of them wrought with despair. She gulped, trying to find the courage to speak, and stepped forward.

"Brothers, sisters, Tamlen was..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Her mind was racing to find the right words, but she couldn't seem to form them in her own mind. There was so much to say, and she had little time to say it. Aerianes mentally slapped herself and continued. "Tamlen was murdered. He was given a slow and undoubtedly painful death at the hands of the darkspawn taint."

Murmurs arose from the clan, a few cries of sorrow. Aerianes had to continue.

"I tell you this not to bring more sadness and tears upon us, but so that we can understand our true enemy in this story. Tamlen...he was strong, he was one of the bravest hunters I knew. I...I loved him...so much..." She shook herself and continued. "But now is not the time to mourn over our loss, for we have a much greater threat to keep our focus on. However, believe me when I tell you this; I will fight this Blight and I will win. I will win because it is what Tamlen would want from me, and I would expect no less from him if our roles were reversed.

"Where I go, I will remember the face of our fallen hunter always, and keep him with me. I implore that you all do the same as well. Tonight there will be many tears shed for him, but tomorrow, tomorrow should be a day to reflect upon his life and all of the good he brought us. Tamlen will be avenged against the darkspawn, of that I promise with all of my heart.

"Tonight I leave this clan, possibly for good. Tonight will mark the first night of my journey for retribution."

The elves stared back at her, hope glimmering in their eyes amidst the pain and sadness. Aerianes could see pride shining in Ashalle's and Marethari's eyes. It helped to ease her anxiousness and brought her to realize that leaving the clan was what was best. It really was her duty to protect her Dales at any cost. The cost for her would be to never see them again. It hurt. She was losing so much in the course of only a few days; all she ever knew really. But it was time. It was time to grow up and begin thinking of the thousands of others she now needed to protect.

_'But Tamlen...I will always keep you with me. I won't let you down. I'm sorry I never told you how I really felt about you. We could have made the clan proud...'_

She sucked in her breath and heaved a sigh that told Paivel she was finished speaking. He nodded and had a hunter bring out Tamlen's sword that was so delicately wrapped in the golden cloth. When a hunter passed, the cloth was draped over their left shoulder when they are buried. It is said that the cloth is blessed by the gods themselves, and it will contain the elf's soul until they come for them. Today, the cloth was wrapped about the blade of the long sword. It was covered in delicate elvish wording that Aerianes could not recognize. It was the language of the Arlathan times that was never lost to them. Slowly, the hunter placed the sword in the grave dug for it. He chanted a small prayer and started to fill the grave with the loose earth.

This time, Aerianes cried without hiding it. Her tears hot as they streamed down her face. She wiped at them and saw Duncan in the corner of her eye. He stood stoic, respectful of the elves and their traditions. She had yet to know a human who in any way held their kind in high esteem, and yet here he was. He turned to her and bowed slightly, his arms crossed in front of his chest; it was the sign of respect in these lands, and Aerianes was grateful for it. She looked around, taking in her clan one more time, and began to take her leave.

"A very strong choice of words," Duncan acknowledged. "I do believe that you will live up to you word. And I think that Tamlen would have been very proud."

Aerianes nodded grimly. She noticed two packs at the warrior's feet - supplies for the journey, no doubt - and picked one up, slinging it over her shoulder. She turned to her clan one last time and saw that they were watching her now, eyes filled with sorrow at her leaving. The keeper bowed to her one last time, the rest followed.

However, there was one elf who refused to moved. Merrill stood still, staring daggers at the hunter. She huffed and walked off without a word.

That brought a smile to Aerianes's lips. At least in the midst of all this sorrow and loss, there was still room for petty rivalries. She laughed to herself and turned to Duncan, motioning them to leave. He nodded and led her away from the clan, and into her new life as the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon...


	5. Chapter 5

**Part One  
Chapter Five**

**Travelin' Soldiers**

**

* * *

**

The days that followed the funeral were hard. Aerianes was used to walking and traveling, but not for hours upon hours at a time. After their first day, her feet began to bark their protest at her to stop and rest. However, Duncan continued on without falter, and so must she, no matter how much she wanted to lie down and sleep for weeks on end.

On the first day, they walked through the forest. The trees were still dense with foliage and the hunter kept to the branches and high cliffs, keeping her eyes sharp for any enemy, her bow constantly at the ready. Aerianes was on edge. Every snap of a twig would send her adrenaline through the roof, pumping through her body relentlessly. However, after the sun began its descent into the mountains behind them and the cool night air began to creep into her bones, she became too tired to stay alert. She jumped down from the tree she was perched on as Duncan filled their water sacks and yawned, stretching out her aching body.

"Not that I am accustomed to complaining, but when will we be making camp? We've travelled for nearly 18 hours now Duncan, and I haven't slept since going back to those ruins."

"Neither have I, if you remember," he replied nonchalantly.

She sighed and frowned. He was right. Maybe she was just being too soft. She wasn't about to show this shem that the Dalish were tender toes, so she shut her mouth and bent down to the stream, splashing her face with the cool water. That was their first conversation ever since leaving the clan. She supposed he had more important things to think about then entertaining a new warrior with stories of the Blight and the Grey Wardens. She wasn't even sure if she could carry on a conversation with the human in any case. She still didn't trust him, even though he seemed noble enough.

"We'll travel just to the edge of that high cliff. Then we will set up camp." Duncan rose to his feet and handed Aerianes a full water sack. "Do you think you can make it that far? It should take only another hour or so."

She grunted. "Of course. Elves are not the weak little slaves that shems make us out to be."

His eyes seemed to smile, though his lips didn't move. "So I've seen."

She actually felt rather guilty. She holstered her water and allowed him to lead the way, remaining silent for the remainder of their journey to the cliff.

That night, they set up their camp and Aerianes headed back out into the forest edges to find food for the night. She stayed crouched in the bushes as she waited by the stream for any game to come by for a night time drink. As she watched, she thought about the situation she found herself in.

The Grey Warden was unlike any human she had ever met. He was patient, calm, and so adamant on showing her that he held no grudge against her for being a brat. She wanted to believe that there were other humans out there like that, that maybe the rift between the humans and the elves was slowly mending. However, the logical part of her brain knew otherwise. Humans and elves were never meant to coexist. The shems would always see them as weak and blasphemers of their gods; while the elves saw them as oversized brutes who held no regard for anyone but themselves.

'So what makes this one so different? Why does he not chain me and take me like a dog to our destination?' she wondered. 'Perhaps he is merely waiting until I fall asleep to revert back to the old ways of his dirty people. Maybe that was the reason for traveling for so long and quickly, so I could not have any energy to sleep tonight with one eye open.'

A rustle from across the stream caught her attention as a young deer leapt to the water and began to drink. Aerianes focused, checking the surroundings quick for any possible parents lingering about. A buck would be able to get the best of her if she was not careful. However, this one seemed to be alone, unaware of the danger that lurked only feet away from it.

She raised her bow and let the small sharpened shaft fly from her hand. The arrow stuck in the deer's right shoulder and it reared, crying as it tried to gain its footing. However, the arrow was deep and the young animal was too frightened to know what to do. It fell to the ground, kicking out its legs and trying desperately to get away.

Aerianes ran out from the bushes, dagger in hand was upon the fawn instantly. She held its muzzle and pulled its head upwards, the skin and muscles on the neck became taught. With deadly precision and a steady hand, she brought the blade across the jugular and the deer bled out, its muscles spasming weakly as the last bit of life drained from its body. Aerianes said a small prayer for the animal and began the work of skinning it and preparing it for food.

She learned long ago as a small child how to properly prepare a carcass for the clan to feast upon. It was a delicate task, if no less macabre, and she took great pride in the work she did. She began by removing the head of the animal completely and then turned the underbelly upwards towards her. She made her incision carefully along the stomach and began to gently remove the organs. Although she had to be careful not to ruin the meat with clumsy hands spilling organ juices about the carcass, she also had to be quick. Wolves were quick to smell the blood of the dead and they would be upon her in no more than an hours time. She removed the innards and placed them on the bank for the scavengers to fall upon when she left and then she began the task of dragging the carcass back to the camp. There she would complete her task so the meat would not be dirty and inedible when it was time to cook.

Duncan was waiting by a roaring fire when she returned. She thought she saw a bit of surprise crawl across his face when she dropped the deer to the ground. He removed a large pot from a pack and poured water into it. Considering they had no spit and no time to make one, they would be enjoying stew for the next few days of their journey.

Aerianes got to work, quickly skinning the animal and taking it apart in bits. She began to hand the meat to Duncan, who made quick work about turning it into a wonderful smelling meal. The elf was so wrapped up in her work that she didn't even notice how hungry she was until she was finished and the aroma of meat filled her nostrils. Her stomach growled angrily, demanding to be fed. She blushed a bit at the noise and Duncan laughed...actually laughed!

"About five more minutes." He said, stirring the water and getting to his feet. He stretched and yawned, fatigue finally appearing on his face. Aerianes nodded and brought the rest of the meat to the fire for it to be cooked afterwards.

They ate in silence. The hunter was still wrapped up in her own thoughts of her clan and Tamlen, and she was in no mood have a conversation with this human about it, Grey Warden or not. Although she was curious about him, she kept her questions to herself. After they ate their fill, Duncan continued to stew the meat so they could take it with them to eat the next day.

Aerianes yawned and stretched out across the grass. The cliff they were on was quite high, and it was going to take a good portion of their day tomorrow just to get down. She figured that it was a smart spot nonetheless; they would be able to hear the crumbling of the rocks of any intruders long before they were upon the camp. This man was no fool, she'd give him that much.

She rolled over and rummaged through her pack. Her hands felt through the contents and it landed upon a familiar shape. The keeper had remembered to store her ocarina in her pack. Gods be praised. She pulled the small instrument from her pack and studied it closely. Her eyes welled up as she remembered playing in the forest while she and Tamlen hunted or goofed around. He loved hearing her play the little thing and would always be sure to keep quiet when she did. The one she held in her hand now was a gift from him. He had carved it himself from the horn of a chamois and gently scratched an intricate design of flowers onto it. His eyes always warmed to her whenever she played this one in particular...those deep blue eyes...

"You may play if you like. I don't see any harm in a little distraction."

The elf blinked and looked over to the man who watched her. She didn't notice that the tears had spilled over her face and fallen onto the object of her affection and she quickly wiped her face. She hesitated, worried that they might attract attention from surrounding darkspawn, but the look on Duncan's face told her that they would be safe.

Slowly, she inhaled and gently blew into the ocarina, her fingers dancing about the holes. The tune was haunting, a song of loss and of the coming to an end. She played to calm herself, but mostly, she played for Tamlen. She knew that this was the only way she was ever going to cope with her loss, and she was okay with that. As long as that instrument was in her possession, he would be with her.

She played until her eyelids drooped heavily. Her breathing slowed and she placed the ocarina back in her pack. Duncan was still awake, and that was okay. She crawled into the tent and drifted away until she dreamt about the clan and of a love that was lost.

* * *

They traveled for another day without speaking. Aerianes had gained her second wind and she was more alert than ever. Perhaps this journey was to toughen her up as a new Grey Warden.

It wasn't until they walked together across the plains on the third day that she finally spoke.

"So...where are we going exactly? And how long is it going to take to get there?"

Duncan's gaze ahead never faltered, but he answered her. "We are traveling south through the hinterlands to the ruin of Ostagar, on the edges of the Kocari Wilds. The Tevinter Imperium built Ostagar long ago to prevent the wilders from invading the northern lowlands. It is fitting that we make our stand there, even if we face a different foe within that forest."

"The darkspawn." Aerianes whispered.

He nodded. "The kings forces have clashed with the darkspawn several times, but here is where the bulk of the horde will show itself. There are only a few Grey Wardens within Ferelden at the moment, but all of us are there. This Blight must be stopped here and now. If it spreads to the north, Ferelden will fall."

It was the severe graveness of those words that kept Aerianes silent once again. She knew that a lot was riding on the Blight being over, but she was unaware at just how grand the situation was. It was humbling, knowing that her loss was not the only thing wrong in the world at the moment. She looked over at Duncan with a fire in her grey eyes, determination setting in.

"Then we won't allow it to go any farther."

His weathered face softened and he smile slightly. "Spoken like a true Grey Warden."

Aerianes flushed, embarrassed by the praise.

"We are not far now. If you look out to the distance you will see the faint outline of the ruins. It should take us no longer than one more day to reach them. I suggest you muster as much courage as your psyche allows and be ready for the battle that will lie ahead. It will be no easy task."

She nodded and shifted her pack to her other shoulder. She had never been so happy to reach a place filled with humans as she was now. Her body ached all over and the pack she wore was growing heavier by the hour. With the promise of one more day of travel, however, she was certain that she would make it without complaining, and was grateful for that.

* * *

The ruins were huge. Large enough to fit numerous clans of the Dales with room to spare for the city elves. The bridge that closed the gap between the two parts was crumbling, but still held strong against the sands of time. She could hear the bustle of soldiers on the other side of the gorge and it put her mind at ease slightly. At least things were not so grave that everyone had lost their sense of humor and humanity. As they neared the bridge, Duncan and Aerianes were greeted by a man in golden armor and three guards around him. He had a strong set jaw and piercing blue eyes that shone with a warmth and kindness Aerianes had never seen before. They were the eyes of a child, she thought. Innocent.

"Ho there, Duncan!"

"King Cailan? I didn't expect-"

"A royal welcome?" the man interrupted, his jovial face lightening with every word, it seemed. His blonde hair reached his shoulders, and was pushed back away from his face, but it seemed natural and accentuated his features. He grinned at the Grey Warden. "I was beginning to think you'd miss all the fun!"

Duncan bowed slightly. "Not if I could help it, you majesty."

"Then I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side after all!" The blue eyes seemed to glaze over momentarily as the king stared into space. "Glorious!" After a moment he regained his focus and looked at the small woman beside the Warden. "The other Wardens told me you found a promising new recruit. I take it this is she?"

Duncan nodded. "Allow me to introduce you, your majesty-"

"No need to be so formal Duncan!" he scoffed. "We'll be shedding blood together after all. Ho there friend! Might I know your name?"

He wasn't very smart. That she figured right from the get go. She weighed how seriously Duncan was taking this battle and how lightly this king was taking it and decided to trust the Warden more. She supposed she was right in believing that the majority of humans were still as dumb as a slab of ironbark on the forest floor. It didn't surprise her.

However, something about this man and his smile made her defenses drop to an extent. He might not be the smartest shem, but he had heart, and a taste for battle. But she was a Grey Warden now, an equal among these men. She decided that being rude to a king would be a bad idea and she bowed her head humbly. "I am Aerianes, your majesty."

He smiled. "Pleased to meet you. The Grey Wardens are desperate to bolster their numbers, and I, for one, am glad to help them." His glanced carried to her tattoos that were etched upon her face and her ears and he cocked an eyebrow. "You are Dalish, are you not? I hear your people possess remarkable skill and honor."

"I thought humans considered us dangerous vagrants," she replied with an amount of venom on her tongue. Oops, so much for being formal and an equal. She shut her mouth quickly and her face reddened from her remark. She flinched slightly, awaiting the onslaught of crude remarks about her people and herself from the tall man, however, none came, much to her surprise.

"To be fair, your people can be a bit...standoffish. Not that I blame them of course." He replied without missing a beat and without anger in his voice. His smiled broadened and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I tell you this, you are very welcome here. The Grey Wardens will benefit with you amongst them."

She was at a loss for words.

Cailan sighed and turned his attention back to Duncan. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I should return to my tent. Loghain waits eagerly to bore me with his strategies."

"Your uncle sends his regards and reminds you that Redcliffe forces could be here within the week." Duncan said.

"Ha!" Cailan laughed. "He just wants in on the glory. We've won three battles against these monsters and tomorrow shall be no different!"

The elf eyed the king cautiously and raised her eyebrow. "You seem very confident of that."

He laughed again. "Overconfident some would say, right Duncan?"

Duncan sighed and his voice fell. "Your majesty, I'm not certain the Blight can be ended as...quickly as you might wish."

Cailan waved his hand at the Warden's words. "I'm not even sure this is a true Blight. There are many darkspawn on the field, but alas, we've seen no signs of an archdemon."

"Disappointed, your majesty?" Duncan asked, a small tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

The kings eyes seemed distant again as he spoke, his voice ravenous with excitement. "I was hoping for a war like the tales! A king riding with the fabled Grey Wardens against a tainted god!" He sighed and turned to the duo. "But I suppose this will have to do. I must go before Loghain send out a search party. Farewell Grey Wardens!"

Cailan turned and walked across the bridge with his guards following suit. Aerianes bowed as he left, but shook her head in the process. How could one who rules an entire country be so foolish? Was he unaware of the taint that was crawling about the land and affecting more than just this ruin? Or was he simply in denial that this war could be lost?

Duncan turned to her. "What the king said is true. They've won several battles against the darkspawn here."

She looked troubled at his lingering words. "Yet you don't seem very reassured."

He motioned for them to continue on and she obeyed. They began their trek to the bridge. "Despite the victories so far, the darkspawn horde grows larger with each passing day. By now, the look to outnumber us. I know there is an archdemon behind this. But I cannot ask the king to act solely on my feeling."

Aerianes laughed. "You could, if he were not such fool."

Duncan stopped at the base of the bridge and stared at her intently, making her wish she never opened her big fat mouth.

"You must not speak of the king so. He is...overeager perhaps, but he is also one of the few Grey Warden allies. Our numbers in Ferelden are too few. We must do what we can and look to Teryn Loghain to make up the difference. To that end," he sighed, looking off to the entrance of the camp, "we must being with the Joining ritual right away."

She jerked her head to him and frowned. "What do you mean? What ritual?"

"Every recruit must go through a secret ritual we call 'The Joining' in order to become a Grey Warden. The Joining is what will cure you of the suffering your tainted blood surely brings you. If it had been possible, I would have done it before now."

Of course there was still more to do! How could she be so stupid as to think that she could just magically be a part of this army without some sort of hazing? She sighed and suddenly felt very tired and old. She was hoping for at least a hot meal and a bath before anything else, but it seemed that those were not options for her at this point. She accepted it and kept her eyes on the tall man.

"What would you have me do?"

He shook his head. "Feel free to explore the camp as you wish. Get a meal in you, rest shortly if you need it. All I ask is that you do not leave for the time being. There is another Grey Warden in the camp by the name of Alistair. When you are ready, seek him out and tell him it's time to summon the other recruits." He began down the steps of the bridge. "Until then I have business I must attend to. You may find me at the Grey Warden tent on the other side of the bridge; should you need to."

And without even a goodbye, he left Aerianes at the foot of the bridge and walked towards the ruin.

For a moment, she fell down on her backside and threw a rock down the slope of the gorge. She was beginning to get very frustrated at this whole Grey Warden thing. It seemed too much work for one little elf to take on. She really was hoping that being accepted by Duncan was all that one needed to become a Grey Warden. It was now becoming a reality that it was going to take much more work than that.

She gazed at the tall towers that were built upon the stony plain. The ruin was a massive piece of work that almost seemed to graze the heavens themselves. She marveled at the wonder for a few moments before her stomach tore her attention away. It seemed her hunger was not a force to be reckoned with at the moment. Slowly she climbed to her feet and began to walk across the bridge. Many guards were there, keeping watch for the darkspawn horde, no doubt. But as the elf passed, their gaze drew away from their post and onto her.

_'What? Never seen an elf out of servants clothes before?'_ she wondered, sneering at their "holier than thou" looks. Some of them scoffed at her, while others simply ignored her presence. Apparently Duncan and Cailan were only some of the few humans who were ready to accept her. She shook her head and continued over the huge chasm, not looking down into the valley for fear of losing whatever contents her stomach might be holding. She had crossed many ravine and canyon, but this was overwhelming.

Finally she made it to the other side and was halted by a guard at the entrance. She crossed her arms, awaiting the barrage of insults and heretic lashings she was going to receive. However, he merely nodded at her and greeted her.

"You must be the new recruit Duncan brought. Hail."

_'Does everyone here hold him in such high regard?'_ she asked herself. She merely nodded to the soldier and he stepped aside as she walked into the large camp. After a hot meal and a good sit, she was going to have her work cut out for her.

Now, she was truly terrified.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part One  
Chapter Six**

**Polar Opposites**

**

* * *

**

The camp itself was enormous. Aerianes got lost multiple times trying to find only the kitchen area so she could get a decent meal in her howling stomach. There were many robed women who were tending to the soldiers needs, Chantry priestesses no doubt. Aerianes was grateful that they at least new how to cook, and she quickly filled her stomach with an assortment of meat and vegetables given to her. Eventually her hunger lessened and she leaned back in her chair, satisfied.

As is customary after a meal, all she wanted to do was relax. The sun was beginning its descent from the sky, setting the entire establishment aglow with red and orange hues. It would have been beautiful to look at if Aerianes wasn't aware of the threat that was just beyond Ostagar's borders. Slowly she pushed her chair away from the table and stood up, stretching her sore muscles. She had business to attend to and figure that it would be wise to keep moving, less one of these ignorant shems mistake her for a slave elf and get her to run pointless errands, threatening the switch if she refused.

She needed to find this Alistair, and quickly, if anything were to be accomplished.

The elf walked out of the large tent and looked about her surroundings. All around were countless soldiers and a few mages here and there. She had never seen so many humans congregated like this, and it made her nervous, whether she liked to admit it or not. Aerianes shook herself and walked down to the other tents, searching the crowds for this other Grey Warden.

She wondered what he might look like. She had not even a vague description to go by from Duncan, so she had to trust her instincts. She pictured a man similar to Duncan. Older, wise, and just as reserved. Perhaps that's how all Grey Warden's were, she wondered. Not that she would mind; the less human contact she had, the better in her mind.

"Psst! Hey, hey you!"

She stopped in her tracks and looked around her. She saw no one standing close to her, yet someone was beckoning her.

"Over here. Look up!"

She did and saw a man, stripped of all but his undergarments and looking the worse for wear. He was covered in lacerations and was gangly and malnourished. He was in a cage that was strung up on a sturdy tree branch, obviously a prisoner to these other shems. Cautiously, the elf walked over to his confined space and looked up at him.

"You aren't another guard are you? Here to sentence me?"

She huffed. "You are the one who called me over here human. However, I'm not sentencing you; not that I'm aware of, at least."

He smiled a toothless smile. "Oh good. I didn't think that an elf would be a guard anyway. Let alone a soldier type-"

"Do you have anything useful to say to me? Or are you going to continue on about how inferior the elves are to you big, burly humans? I'm not one to be messed with shem."

The prisoner shook his head fiercely. "No, no, that's not what I meant at all. Please, look past my rudeness. I was...only wondering if you could do a poor prisoner a favor?"

She studied him. He didn't seem the criminal type. She wondered why he was here in the first place. "First," she began, "tell me why you're put here. Then we'll see if I still have any want to help you."

"Ugh, what difference does it make!" he exclaimed with frustration. But he was at her mercy and calmed himself down quickly. "Okay, okay. Look, I was put in here for...desertion."

"And did you desert?"

"No! Well...not that most would blame me if I tried..." he trailed of thoughtfully. "Look, I overheard some of the mages talking of a magical chest that was sealed that held powerful lyrium potions for them. The lock itself was enchanted and would be impossible to pick; one needed the key to get in. So I got up in the middle of the night to take it from the mage who spoke of the key and was caught shortly after.

"Seeing a soldier up and about in the middle of the night riles suspicion and without another word, the guards threw me in here!"

Aerianes crossed her arms. "So you aren't a deserter, but a thief?"

"Yes, yes. I suppose I am," he batted away the question like a pesky fly. "Look, I already know that my fate is sealed and I will most likely be executed for my actions, however, I would rather die at the hand of a soldier and his blade then from lack of nourishment. I am merely asking for a bit of food...and maybe some water. I haven't eaten in days and would like to at least go with a full stomach."

She had no time for petty little tasks such as these, however, something inside of her felt compassion for this shem, and she slowly caved. Maybe he did steal, but she herself would hate to be neglected of at least the bare essentials before death.

"I suppose I can do something."

The prisoner sighed with relief. "Great. I know that the guard over there has yet to eat his ration for tonight. Maybe you could try speaking with him?"

What other choice did she have really?

She sauntered over to the guard and tapped his shoulder. He turned quickly and eyed her, suspicion in his gaze.

"Move along, not much to see here, unless you want to stone deserters," he told her nonchalantly.

Aerianes frowned. "You don't seem too happy to be on guard duty."

He scoffed. "Well, would you? I came here to help the king stop the Blight, not play babysitter for soldiers who would wet their armor at the first sight of a darkspawn. This one was caught trying to escape in the middle of the night. He'll be put to death most likely."

"Well...I talked to him actually."

"Oh really?" the guard laughed. "Have anything interesting to say?"

She nodded. "He said he wasn't deserting."

The man shook his head. "That's what they're going to say of course. The problem with deserters is that they are so afraid of death that they'll do anything to get out of the army, and then when caught, they'll do anything to try to convince us that they weren't trying to get out!" he sighed. "And now I'm stuck here on watch."

"I don't suppose we could give him a scrap of food?" she asked, hopeful that there was an ounce of decency in this man's body.

"Well if I were to do that, it would have to be my own ration for the night! And I'm not about to give a criminal what is rightfully mine!"

Aerianes sighed, defeated. This guard was adamant on keeping his ration. Quickly, she dug into her pockets and produced a small amount of coin. "Would ten silvers change your mind?" she asked.

He looked at the money and scratched his chin. "Well...I suppose I could go one night...All right! But if anyone asks why he's burpin', I'm telling the guard it was you!"

He handed her his meal in exchange for her money and turned a blind eye to her returning to the prisoner. She handed the food to him through the bars and he tore into in like a rabid dog.

"Maker bless you! This will be wonderful!"

Aerianes smiled, feeling a little better about helping him and began to walk away.

"Wait! Hold on a moment!"

She turned and the prisoner flung an item her way. It landed at her feet and she bent to pick it up. It was a key that felt quite warm to her touch. She eyed it and looked at the man questionably.

"Use it on the chest. It's over by the mage's tent! Its contents could come in handy for you!"

Since she was not a mage, she doubted lyrium would be useful, but she took it nonetheless.

She headed down the crumbling steps and continued on her search for the other Warden. As she walked, she noted the two grand tents near the entrance where she came from. One was undoubtedly the kings own tent. The other, well, after reading the sign she saw that it was the tent of the teryn himself. Aerianes decided not to mess in their affairs even if she was paid ten soveriegns to do so. She walked on and was stopped by the sight of an older woman who eyed her suspiciously. She was leaned against a tree trunk by the mages tents and stood with her arms crossed. Aerianes wondered why she was not with the other mages, who were blocked off from the soldiers and chanting their incantations and spells under the eyes of the templars.

"Greetings young lady." The woman stopped the elf in her tracks and offered a distrustful smile on her part. Aerianes frowned. "You must be Duncan's newest recruit. He is not a man easily impressed. You should be proud."

_'Man, everyone here really does hold him in high regard.'_

"Allow me to introduce myself," the aged woman continued, moving away from the tree. "I am Wynne, a mage of the Circle, summoned by the king."

Aerianes studied her carefully. She seemed harmless enough, deep wrinkles set into her skin, telling of a long life no doubt full of stories. Her white hair shone in the setting sun, giving off a bright reflection of silver. Her eyes seemed welcoming enough, if it wasn't for the blatant mistrust that clouded them.

"I've seen a lot of mages today." Aerianes replied flatly.

"The Circle sent many," Wynne replied. "Mages have always helped in past Blights. To defeat the darkspawn, we must work together. It's not an idea everyone seems to grasp."

Now the elf felt sheepish. Here was this human mage telling the young elf of tolerance. If she was to be a Grey Warden, she needed to learn a thing or two about trusting these shems, for they, no doubt, would be the majority of her company from now on. Aerianes put her defenses down, if only a bit, and stepped closer to the woman.

"You've seen darkspawn before?"

Wynne nodded. "Stragglers yes, but not the vast horde the scouts speak of. I wonder, how much do you know of the connection between the darkspawn and the Fade?"

_'Oh great, a history lesson.' _Aerianes sighed. "We call it the Beyond. But I see no connection."

The mage smiled. "Anytime your spirit leaves your earthly body, whether it's to dream or to die, it passes into the realm we call the Fade. It's home to many spirits. Some benevolent, others far less so. At the heart of the Fade lies the Black City."

She got the elf's attention. "What's the Black City?"

"Some say the Black City was once the seat of the Maker. But some mages from the Tevinter Imperium found a way into the city. It was tainted by their sin. That taint transformed those men, turning them into twisted reflections of their own hearts; and the Maker cast them down to the earth, where they became the first darkspawn." She turned to the elf and smiled. "At least, that's what the Chantry of Light says."

Aerianes smirked. "The Chantry says a lot of things, I'm told."

Wynne frowned. "It may be an allegory, meant to teach us that our own evil causes human suffering; or it may be true. It's as good an explanation as any, for now. It is wise to occasionally contemplate one's actions." She sighed when she saw no reaction from the elf. "But I'm certain Duncan has more for you to do than talk to me. Off you go."

Aerianes was a little glad for the woman's understanding. She had more important things to accomplish than to listen to old tales. She nodded and left quickly.

As she continued on her search, she noticed a man who was talking to a woman soldier. She seemed quite uninterested in what he had to say, but Aerianes overheard him trying to tell her that he was a Grey Warden. Naturally, given his desperate nature, she didn't quite believe him and walked off.

_'__Perhaps this is this Alistair?' _the hunter wondered. She walked up to the dark haired man and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me, are you a Grey Warden? One of the recruits, maybe?"

He turned and eyed her up and down, almost hungrily. She felt as though a hot bath was in order after that ravenous gaze. She frowned, but soon his dark eyes met hers and he laughed lightly.

"Well, you're not what I'd thought you'd be."

She glared. "And what's that supposed to mean?" she spat.

"Oh, me and ser knight were just betting on who the new recruit would be. Not an elf, yet here you are."

Aerianes was convinced that humans were much thicker than even the keeper had informed her about. This one was as offensive as any and showed no realization that he was being so. She grimaced inwardly, but kept her mouth shut.

"My name's Daveth," he continued, a stupid smile smeared across his thin lips. "And it's about bloody time you showed up! I Was beginning to think they cooked up this ritual just for our benefit."

The young elf raised a dark eyebrow. "Isn't that a little paranoid?"

He laughed aloud. "That all depends on the kind of life you lead! Me, I'm perfectly willing to accept that this Joining is some kind of punishment. I happened to be sneaking around camp last night, see, and I heard a couple of Grey Warden's talking. So I listen in for a bit; I'm thinking they plan to send us into the Wilds."

The way he said it made Aerianes think that he meant to scare her. Well, she was not about to let this stupid man send her nerves trembling. "So what?" she asked plainly. "Is that supposed to frighten us?"

The man grinned. He had charcoal hair and a very filled in scruff of beard that made him seem quite dirty. Most elves did not grow facial hair. Unlike many humans, they tried to stay as clean as possible when not on the battlefield. But this one seemed to be the epitomy of the shem stereotype. Dirty and dumb.

"Cannibals, witches, beasts, and now darkspawn?" he asked, amused. "What isn't to be scared of? It's all too secretive for me. Makes my nose twitch. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Like we have a choice."

Aerianes lowered her gaze, reminded of her clan. "I wouldn't be here if I did," she replied softly, a small tinge of anger in her words.

Daveth just brushed off her remark like she never said it. "You take what you can get, right? Anyways, I expect it's time to get back to Duncan. See you there!"

And with that, he left. Aerianes sighed and turned. Something very shiny caught her eye and she looked at the table ahead of her. There, sitting amongst armor and worked leather, lay a beautiful dagger, encrusted with golden designs that glowed with enchantment. The reflection of the blade twinkled in the elf's eyes and she walked towards the blade like a woman in a trance. This would be a blade even Tamlen would have been jealous of! Maybe she could just have it...?

A strong, thick hand grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her away from the table. "You there! Elf! Where's my armor? And why are you dressed so preposterously?"

The anger flared up as this tall, ugly shem grabbed her so tightly. She pushed away and twisted her limb out of his grasp. She was unable to stop her actions in her pit of anger, and she backhanded the balding man, leaving a nice red mark and a loud crack as the leather hit his soft flesh. He almost fell from the blow.

"How dare you address me so human!"

The man rubbed his cheek and looked at the woman more carefully. He quickly got to his feet and studied her armor, her weapons, and realized he made an idiot of himself.

"Oh, you're the one that arrived with the Grey Warden! Please...please forgive my rudeness! There are so many elves running about and I've been waiting for...it's simply been so hectic!" he rambled on momentarily, then composed himself. "I never thought...please pardon my terrible manners. I'm just a simple man, the quartermaster..."

She rolled her eyes, annoyed by his stupidity. "You're forgiven human, for now. Perhaps you could win my favor by making a small trade?"

"Hm? Oh, well, what would you like m'lady?"

Aerianes unsheathed one of her Dalish daggers and handed it to the quartermaster. "This blade, for the enchanted one on your table. I would so hate for this 'misunderstanding' to reach Duncan. He wouldn't take to such abuse of a Grey Warden so lightly."

The new dagger was practically thrust into her hands. "Please, take it with the Maker's blessing."

Aerianes smirked and walked off. Perhaps being a Grey Warden wasn't as bad as she was making it out to be. She placed the new dagger in her holster and continued on her search. The sun was making it's way down over the mountains, and it would be very dark, very soon. She had to get to this Alistair quickly if this ritual were to be done.

However, as she neared the back of the mages tent, on her way up another set of stairs, something in her pocket grew warmer. Aerianes stopped and quickly searched for the source of the heat, her skin becoming quite hot from its energy. She pulled out the key that the prisoner had given her and saw that it was becoming quite inflamed and red. She looked around, trying to find the source of the reaction and noticed a chest that glowed faintly mere feet away from her.

_'Oh yeah, the chest! This must be it.'_

Slowly she approached the chest and placed the key in its lock. The lock itself, along with the key seemed to melt away at their joining. The top of the wooden crate opened and Aerianes peeked inside. Four flasks rested amongst two small bags of coins. Quickly she removed the coins and the flasks, their blue and red light glowing as she strapped them to her belt. As fast as she opened the chest, she closed it again and was about to walk away when a tall man in Chantry robes blocked her.

"That course of action would be inadvisable."

She stared at him, wide-eyed. Now she had done it, now she would be imprisoned for stealing from allies and executed once the battle was over. She blew it.

But something was...off about this man. Although he didn't seem to approve of her actions, he showed no anger and no signs of telling on her. She furrowed her brows and stepped closer, noticing that he wore no facial expression. He was simply...blank. But not in the same way as the rediculous Daveth was. This one seemed...devoid of emotion.

"Who are you?" she finally asked.

"I am one of the Tranquil, my friend. I'm of the Circle of Magi, but instead of casting spells and reading tomes, I spend my time enchanting. It's a time consuming process, but invaluable. Enchantment provides the Circle its wealth."

No emotion. His voice was completely monotone. It sent a chill down the elf's spine. "You speak very strangely. Why is that?"

"Allow me to put it this way; do you know why those with magical talent are feared?"

Simple enough question. "Because magic is powerful and dangerous."

He nodded. "It is dangerous beyond its power. Those with magical talent attract demons and spirits. We can be possessed easily and thus become horrors known as abominations. Even those with minor talents attract hungry spirits. Anyone with the power may learn blood magic from these demons. Hence we are considered dangerous. This is our curse. Thus, I was made Tranquil, stripped of my emotion and talent. I am no longer dangerous."

The keeper had once told Aerianes about this. It was something called a 'Harrowing' she thought. Mages were put through a rigorous test to see if they could be...controlled. It was a grueling task, she was told, and many mages cannot pass it. The ones who cannot be cleansed of their demons are killed by the templars, the ones who can were made into these servants. It sickened her to know that humans would give up on their own kind so easily. It would be like casting out all elven servants in her clan. She could never imagine it.

"It sounds like a horrid practice," she said.

"I might seem as such to you," he replied, still so monotonous. "But I feel no horror. I am content to serve in my role."

"I feel badly for you," Aerianes said, a small lump forming in her throat.

"You do? I feel nothing. As the name suggests, my existence is quite peaceful. I am alive, productive and no danger to anyone. Surely that is not a terrible thing?"

He did have a point. But not like this. This was wrong, Aerianes knew it. She turned away and continued on, unable to bring herself to continue her conversation with this man. It wasn't until she was out of his sight that she remembered her looting. She had gotten away with it after all. She sighed a deep breath and smiled.

Now onto the matter at hand. Where was this Warden? She had searched amongst the ranks of soldiers, mages and passers by, and yet no one seemed to fit the part. Aerianes was getting frustrated with her progress and she plopped herself down on one of the torn stone steps. She huffed and kicked a rock beneath her foot. It wasn't until she heard the commotion behind her that she turned and decided to investigate.


	7. Chapter 7

**Part One  
Chapter Seven  
I Likely Shouldn't Be Here**

**

* * *

**

Two men were atop a platform, one a mage and the other a soldier. The mage seemed quite irritated at the man's presence and kept a distance between them. Aerianes narrowed her vision and watched closely.

"What is it now?" the mage groaned angrily. "Haven't the Grey Wardens asked more than enough from the Circle?"

_'A ha!'_ Aerianes thought. Finally she had found him. This blonde soldier must be it.

"I simply came to deliver a message from the revered mother, ser mage. She desires your presence."

"What her reverence _'desires'_ is of no concern to me! I am busy helping the Grey Warden's - by the king's order I might add!"

Aerianes saw the soldier grin. "Should I have asked her to write a note?"

The mage glared, his face reddening. "Tell her I will not be harassed in this manner!"

"Yes...I was harassing you by delivering a message," the blond replied, sarcasm obvious in his tone.

"Your glibness does you no credit!" the mage yelled, his anger teetering on the brink.

The Warden rolled his eyes. "And here I thought we were getting along so well. I was even going to name on of my children after you! The grumpy one!"

Aerianes grinned at his wit and quick tongue. She stepped more into view and watched the mage's reaction.

"Enough! I will speak to the woman if I must!" He turned and stomped towards Aerianes. "Out of my way, fool!" He shoved her slightly with his own shoulder and trudged down the steps. Aerianes glared and rubbed her shoulder, tempted to call out the human and make him pay for his insolence to not only her, but the Grey Warden as well. Perhaps not all took the Grey Wardens for saviors of the land.

"You know," the soldier sighed, walking up to the young elf. "The good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."

Her almond shaped eyes narrowed and she sized up this human. He was much younger than she expected; not much older than herself as far as she could tell. He had very blue eyes and dirty blond hair that was rustled about slightly. There was something about him, however. Something very familiar about his smug little smile and the glint in his eyes.

"You are a very strange human," she finally said, a note of skepticism in her voice.

"You're not the first one to tell me that," he replied, a laugh in his voice. He looked at her for a moment and scratched his chin. "Wait, we haven't met before have we? I don't suppose you're another mage?"

She shook her head, her dark brown hair flowing with her movement. "No, we haven't met. You must be Alistair."

He smiled. "And that makes you Duncan's new recruit I suppose? Glad to meet you. As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining."

Something about his visage and his demeanor made her less skeptical about him. He seemed warm, honest, and actually glad for her company, regardless of her race. She smiled. Finally, someone besides Duncan who saw her for more than just a pointed ear humanoid. Perhaps this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Aerianes."

He smacked his forehead. "Right! That's the name! You know, it just occurred to me that there haven't been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?"

She supposed she should be thankful that at least he didn't say that about the elves. She put her hands on her hips and grinned. "You want more women in the Wardens, do you?"

Alistair shrugged. "Would that be so terrible?" He caught on to her grin and hurried his speech. "Not that I'm some drooling lecher or anything...please stop looking at me like that." He saw that her grin was not fading, so he decided the subject needed to be changed. "So, I'm curious, have you ever actually encountered a darkspawn before?"

She nodded. "Just recently, yes."

"I've only fought them once, up close," he replied. "And that was before the battles had started... which Duncan has kept me out of so far." He seemed unhappy about that fact, but quickly brushed it away. "Tell me, did you find them as monstrous as I did?"

She shook her head. Perhaps she was scared the first time, but there was no way she was going to tell this shem about her fears. She looked amused at his question. "Dangerous. Hideous. But killable."

He seemed surprised by her answer, but smiled nonetheless. "Well you'll be at an advantage then. Most of the new recruits have never seen darkspawn. Anyhow, whenever you're ready let's get back to Duncan. I imagine he's eager to get things started."

He began to walk forward but she quickly blocked his path. "That argument I saw, what was that about?"

"With the mage?" he asked. When she nodded, he answered. "The Circle is here by the kings request, and the Chantry doesn't like that one bit. They just love letting the mages know how unwelcome they are. Which puts me in an awkward position; I was once a Templar."

This bit of news surprised her. He did not seem like the over religious type. He definitely didn't seem over eager about the Chantry. "You were a mage-hunter?"

Alistair nodded, though he seemed put off by her blunt response. "Not that that's all templars do, but yes. The Chantry raised me until Duncan recruited me six months ago. I'm sure the revered mother meant it as an insult - sending me as her messenger - and the mage picked right up on that." He sighed and shifted his stance. "I never would have agreed to deliver it, but Duncan says we're all to cooperate and get along. Apparently they didn't get the same speech."

She nodded. Aerianes was put at ease with this human. She could tell he would be of no threat to her, and that was very much okay. He didn't seem to be one to rock the boat and she decided then and there that she would do her best to get along. If that is what it was going to take to help this Blight, then who was she to oppose? She held out her hand.

"I look forward to traveling with you."

He stepped back, surprised by her gesture and seemed unaware of what to do. Hesitantly, he placed his large hand into her petite one and they shook.

"You do?" he asked as he took his hand back. "Huh, that's a switch. Well, if you have any questions, please let me know. Otherwise, lead the way."

He held out his arm to motion for her to move. Aerianes obliged and made her way down the crumbling steps. She smiled to herself and thought about the trial that lay ahead, and now she seemed a little more at ease knowing that someone with at least a little experience would be accompanying her. At least it wouldn't be just her and that other idiot Daveth. She stopped suddenly and turned to Alistair, a puzzled look upon her face.

"Do you happen to know of the other recruit? His strength? Weakness? What should I watch out for?"

The soldier smiled at her, though he seemed confused by her question. "You mean 'recruits', with a plural? There is more than just you and one other."

"Oh?" she replied. "I ran into one, but not the other."

Alistair sighed. "That means we still have to find him." He walked ahead of her and she followed close behind. "Of all the things that I could be doing, sometimes I wonder why Duncan... Well, it doesn't matter. This camp isn't too large, I'm sure we should find him shortly."

Not too large? Was he joking? That did seem to be in his nature. Aerianes looked deflated when he said that and almost lost her footing. Alistair turned and steadied her, his face showing genuine concern for her well being. She blushed and stood up straight again, readjusting her slightly shifted armor.

"I'm sorry..." she trailed off, brushing stray hairs from her face, "did you say that this camp... isn't too large?"

He laughed. "Is this a whole new experience for you?"

"Well," she sighed, putting a hand on her hip. "Let me break it down. So far I've met mages, darkspawn, Grey Wardens, Templars, kings and teryns...all in the course of about 6 days." She counted off her experiences on her fingers and Alistair stared at her, wide eyed. She stopped and smirked. "So I guess you could say...yes."

"You...don't get out much, do you?" he asked skeptically.

She shook her head. "Dalish tend to live...shall we say 'sheltered lives'?" she replied, slightly annoyed by his ignorance.

Alistair shook his own head, as if to clear his thoughts and ran after her as she continued forward. "Look, I meant no disrespect. Please don't take it as such." He grinned at her and she couldn't help but grin back. "No offense or anything, but it's not everyday that I meet an elf who is so unaware of the human world. Don't take it as a bad thing. That means that you also haven't been tainted by the ways of the Chantry, the Circle and the many odd but seemingly socially acceptable things humans tend to do."

She turned and reached up to pat him on the face. "Then I will take that as a compliment. I am one lucky elf."

Alistair bit his lower lip nervously. His eyes averted from the grey pools that stared back at him defiantly and prayed for some sort of distraction.

Luckily, his prayers were answered. The other recruit had found them first, and was fast approaching.

Aerianes turned to follow his gaze and was greeted by another man who looked to be just as young as Alistair. His hair was thinning though, and he had a heavy set brow. However, he carried himself tall and strong. The elf guessed he must have already been a trained soldier. He nodded to Alistair and looked down at the woman with an off-put smile.

"Greetings. You must be the new recruit we've heard about."

She nodded, crossing her arms. "I am. Who are you?"

He bowed slightly. "Ser Jory is my name. I hail from Redcliffe where I served as a knight under the command of Arl Eamon." He looked her up and down slowly, taking in her petite form and seemed slightly puzzled. "I was unaware that elves could join the Grey Wardens. Those camped in the valley are all human."

There it was again. That human arrogance that set her blood on boil. She glared at him and huffed, stiffening up. "Well then, maybe they should be letting fewer humans in."

He put his hands up in defense. "I did not mean to offend you. Clearly your skills have impressed Duncan. I hope we're both lucky enough to join the Wardens. Is it not thrilling to be given the chance?"

She nodded slightly. She supposed this knight was partially right, her skills did impress Duncan. Was she thrilled about joining the Wardens, well, the idea hadn't quite grown on her yet. "Aren't you nervous about the darkspawn?" she asked.

He smiled. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. As a boy, my mother told us darkspawn hunted down all the children who misbehaved. It is a foolish superstition, I know, but I still shiver when I think of fighting them." He looked at her more seriously and glance quickly at Alistair. "Tell me," he continued, his voice slightly lower, as if to prevent the junior Warden from hearing. "Has anyone told you what this Joining ritual entails?"

She shook her head. "It's all a big secret apparently."

He looked over to Alistair and smiled. "I don't suppose you could enlighten us, even a bit young Warden?"

The blond folded his arms in front of him. "Unfortunately, no, ser knight. It is unfair to be giving you an advantage when hundreds of Wardens before you were given none. Besides, that takes the fun out of it now, doesn't it?"

Jory scoffed. "Well, I've never heard of such a ritual. I had no idea there would be more tests after being recruited." He sighed and shifted his armor, looking past the two in front of him. "Well, I best get back to Duncan, now that you're here. I will see you at the tent then."

As the knight walked off, Aerianes turned to the tall blond and stared at him accusingly. He almost looked frightened and put his hands up in defense.

"What? What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"There is something important that you know and you're not telling me. So come on, it's just you and me now. Out with it."

He shook his head. "Nope, sorry. I'm really in no position to tell you anything. It would be against the rules of the Joining. So no matter what you try to charm me with, or how you try to seduce the words out of me, my lips will remained sealed."

He mimed the action of pulling a zipper across his lips and locking it tight to prove his point, smiling smugly the whole time. Aerianes huffed and stormed off. Alistair laughed and ran after her, enjoying her reaction all the way back to the Warden's tent.

* * *

The moon was already high in the night sky when they returned to Duncan. Jory and Daveth were both there waiting for the two stragglers. Duncan's visage remained just as serious as before, but he nodded at them to acknowledge their presence. The fire behind him was roaring as produced a very soothing heat that made Aerianes want to crawl into a bedroll and fall asleep. However, now was not the time to get soft. She was among not only men, not only humans, but Grey Wardens; and she was determined to prove herself tonight. She would do anything.

"You found Alistair did you? Good. I'll assume you're ready to begin preparations." He turned a slightly disapproving eye to the blond soldier. "Assuming, of course, that you're quite finished riling up the mages, Alistair?"

The young man shrugged and with his smile, tried to defend himself. "What can I say? The revered mother ambushed me! The way she wields guilt they should stick her in the army."

Aerianes caught her laugh before it emerged from her throat. The two soldiers beside her, however, were not as fortunate. Of course Daveth was the louder of the two. They tried to quickly regain composure as Duncan shook his head.

"She forced you to sass a mage, did she?" he asked, slightly skeptical of Alistair's response. "We cannot afford to antagonize anyone Alistair. We don't need to give anyone anymore ammunition against us."

Alistair frowned, looking like a small boy who was caught playing with his father's sword, or stealing his mother's baking. He sighed lightly and nodded. "You're right Duncan. I...apologize."

The Grey Warden seemed to have forgotten about it already and turned back to the recruits. "Now then, since you are all here, we can begin. You four will be heading into the Kocari Wilds to perform two tasks. The first is to obtain three vials of darkspawn blood. One for each recruit."

Out of her peripheral vision, Aerianes noticed Daveth and Jory shift slightly in their boots, seeming to be nervous. She rolled her eyes. "What do we need darkspawn blood for?"

Duncan looked at her. "For the Joining itself. I will explain more once you've returned." He paced around the fire slowly, the four others watching him carefully. "Now, as for the other task; there was once a Grey Warden archive in the Wilds, abandoned long ago when we could no longer afford to maintain such remote outposts. It has recently come to our attention that some scrolls have been left behind, magically sealed to protect them. Alistair, I want you to retrieve these scrolls, if you can."

Aerianes couldn't help it, her inquisitive nature just had to ask. "What kind of scrolls are these?"

Duncan obliged. "Old treaties, if you're curious. Promises of support made to the Grey Wardens long ago. They were once considered only formalities. With so many having forgotten their commitments, I suspect it may be a good idea to have something to remind them."

Something about this quest for the scrolls made the elf's stomach tie up slightly. Why was it so important to have outside help now? Was this battle tomorrow really such a lost cause? Or was this really just a formality? It made her spine tingle with worry. But nevertheless, she was committed, and she had to see this ritual through. She was doing this as her duty as a Dalish.

"Find the archive and three vials of blood. Understood." She nodded as she reiterated her instructions.

Duncan walked up to Alistair and placed his hands on the young man's shoulders. "Watch over your charges Alistair. Return swiftly, and safely."

He nodded. "We will."

The elder man stepped back and bowed. "Then may the Maker watch over your path. I will see you when you return."

Alistair nodded and motioned for the four of them to head out. Aerianes followed closely behind and ran with the men to the end of the camp. She felt the adrenaline start to kick in at the thought of venturing into the dark Wilds without any aid from the Warden. She was nervous, to say the least, but was as ready as she ever would be.

As they slowed, they came upon a large wooden gate guarded by a human...and an elf! Aerianes could hardly believe her eyes! He stood there, talking to the guard and the guard was listening. Her heart fluttered as they finished their conversation and she quickly pushed her way through the three men to get to the red headed humanoid.

"Hey!"

"Watch it!"

"Coming through!" she yelled at them. She clumsily ran to the elf and stopped him as he was about to walk away. He turned, looking a little worried as an armored woman was approaching him. She waved her arm and finally caught up to him. "H-Hey," she panted. "Guard!"

"H-Hello?" the elf stammered. "Is there something you needed?"

Aerianes looked up at him, her brows furrowing. "What do you mean?"

"I deliver messages around the camp," the elf replied rather casually. He kept the same quizzical look on his face as he studied her. "You have a message for me?"

How could she have been so stupid? He wore no armor, merely servants garments, and he was scrawny, underfed. He was definitely no soldier, not even a hunter. This one was a servant, as much as the rest of the elves that must be here were. She hung her head, defeated and sighed. "No...I...I just wanted to talk..."

"Are you the new Grey Warden recruit?" he asked, hopefulness filling his voice. "I was just walking by when I heard." He beamed at her and stepped closer. "It must be nice to be so important!" His smile slowly faded however, and he narrowed his gaze. "Wait...you aren't here to tell me I'm in trouble, are you?"

She snapped to attention, almost disgusted at his weakness. "What?! No! Of course not!"

The elf looked as though the weight of the world was lifted off of his shoulders. "That's a relief!" he sighed. "I'm one of the king's servants, which means I run messages around and make deliveries all day long. If you fall behind you get the switch from the quartermaster!" He shuddered at the very thought. "Oh I wish I were back that the palace! There are far more places to hide! Look...I-I better go. If the quartermaster sees me chatting, he'll think I'm being lazy and that'll be my hide! But...it was nice talking...to someone."

He turned foot and quickly dashed out of sight.

Aerianes was left there, again wondering why she even bothered coming to Ostagar. Surely there was no room in the Grey Wardens for such a woman as herself? It seemed no matter where she would go, she and her people would always be the lower life forms. What embarrassed her even more was that the three shems had been watching her and her stupidity. If only they could see the elves for what they really were! Honorable, strong, noble...and better looking to boot! Slowly, she turned and walked back to the group. Thankfully, they remained silent as they approached the guard.

"Hail!" he welcomed. "I'm told you all have business in the Wilds. The gate's open for you, just be careful out there! Even a Grey Warden won't be safe in the forest tonight."

Slowly the gate creaked open and the four ventured forward. Aerianes sucked in her breath and gathered her courage. It was time to show these humans that elves were not placed on the earth to merely scrub the floors and undergarments of shems all around. They could also be some of the fiercest warriors and most keen archers the world has ever known. She would have to prove herself a useful ally if she were to continue her duty to her clan.

_'You can do this. For the clan. For Tamlen...'_


	8. Chapter 8

**Part One  
Chapter Eight  
On The Verge of Something...**

**

* * *

**

Beyond the gates of the Ostagar ruin was a vast plain of the Kocari Wilds. The twilight had sunken in, making some of the ominous shapes in the bushes difficult to recognize as either plant or possibly something else. Aerianes got a small chill from wondering what could be lurking in those bushes, waiting for them to venture too far.

"Come on," Alistair said. "We have to get a move on if we want to get back to Duncan in time."

The three recruits nodded and followed behind the Warden. Aerianes kept her bow taught in her grasp, ready for any ambush that might await them. She kept her breathing slow and methodical, trying to make as little noise as possible. If anything, she had to overcompensate for the three shems whose armor and weapons clanked together as they walked on the path. She groaned silently. Haven't these soldiers learned anything about tact?

"Hold on," she whispered, grasping Alistair's shoulder. He stopped and looked down at the small elf, questioning her actions, but remaining silent as she actioned him to do so. Slowly, Aerianes crept through the bushes, so silent that even the three men were having a hard time determining where she was. She smelled something that was slightly off. Something was leaving a horrid stench in her sensitive nostrils and she didn't like it. Maybe these Wilds were unlike most of the forests she had ever been to, but she doubted that they would smell this bad.

Upon reaching the edge of the brush, she poked her head over the bushes and saw the reason for the rancid odor. A pack of wolves were feasting upon both human remains and the limbs of the darkspawn. It was quite a gory sight with their white coats being stained by the red blood of the humans and the black blood of the darkspawn. Their muzzles dripped with it as they ravished the corpses, leaving behind as little remains as possible.

Aerianes had to stop these wolves. They were now tainted by the blood of the darkspawn, and would soon become rabid creatures that were unfit to walk upon this land. Slowly she pulled the arrow back and aimed at the closest one. She hoped in the back of her mind that the three humans would have enough sense to get down the hills and attack once they heard the howl. She had no other real option; retreating could mean losing this pack and having them spread their taint.

Her arrow flew from her grasp and nailed the closest wolf square in between the eyes. It fell with a small yelp and ceased to move.

The rest of the pack was notified by a lonesome howl that emerged from its partner. They stopped their feasting and quickly ran towards the source of the arrow. Aerianes tried to keep her calm. She drew a slow breath and released another arrow, crippling one of the charging canines. They were getting close, and quickly. She felt her heart pumping faster and perspiration expose itself on her skin. However, she remained still and continued her onslaught.

It was not until she could practically smell their evil that Alistair hacked ones head right off. Daveth and Jory followed suit, helping to annihilate the pack of tainted wolves. Aerianes did not move from her cover. She continued her barrage of arrows and smiled inwardly. She was facing death in the face and yet she was able to still function in combat. Perhaps it was the fact that she was becoming a Grey Warden, or maybe it was because she was becoming a real warrior. No matter what the case, she was happy for her progress and thanked the gods profusely.

Daveth drove his blade into the last wolf's skull and wiped the blood from his face. The three men turned to the bushes where the elf finally emerged, sheathing her bow and dusting off her knees.

"Good eye there!" Daveth praised, clapping in amusement. Jory merely huffed and walked forward, while Alistair took in their surroundings.

There was a soldier's post here, and it looked as though it had been completely torn apart by the darkspawn. Bodies and supplies lay strewn about the Wilds floor and bloody remains were littered everywhere. It was not an easy sight to behold, and it even made Aerianes's iron stomach lurch momentarily. She composed herself and followed the troupe.

Jory walked about the carnage and shook his head in despair. "See this? An entire patrol of seasoned men killed by the darkspawn."

"Calm down, Ser Jory," Alistair soothed. "We'll be fine if we're careful."

He scoffed at the Wardens' remark. "Those men were careful, and they were still overwhelmed! How many darkspawn can the four of us slay? A dozen? A hundred? There's an entire army in these forests!"

Alistair tried to keep his voice level to calm the knight down. "There are darkspawn about, but we are in no danger of walking into the bulk of the horde."

"How do you know?" Jory retorted. "I'm no coward, but this is foolish and reckless! We should go back!"

Aerianes mumbled under her breath, just loud enough for the others to hear. "You sure sound like a coward to me."

Jory seemed jostled by her remark and paused. "I am...simply trying to stay alive. You do not see me fleeing, do you?" He glared down at the woman.

"A bit of fear isn't unnatural you know," Alistair offered. "Few relish meeting darkspawn up close. I know I don't."

Aerianes continued to stare the tall knight down as her glared right back at her. "Not many humans, maybe," she spat at the cowardly man.

Alistair grinned and looked at her. "Well I know I'm relying on you to protect my hide. Know this," he continued, looking at Daveth and Jory, "all Grey Wardens can sense darkspawn. Whatever their cunning, I guarantee they won't take us by surprise. That's why I'm here."

Daveth smirked at Jory. "You see ser knight? We might die, but we'll be warned about it first!"

Jory raised his eyebrow at his fellow recruit and sighed. "That's supposed to be...reassuring?"

"That doesn't mean that I'm here to make this easy on you three, so let's get a move on."

Aerianes agreed and followed closely behind Alistair. She may not find these three to be the wisest apples of the bunch, but at least this Warden had more sense in his left brain than the other two had put together. She shook her head. She knew that their odds were slim. With the horde lurking so close, there was no doubt they would run into their fair share of darkspawn warriors. The thought did strike a little fear into her, but the thoughts of her keeper reminding her of her duty kept her willpower strong.

The noises of the Wilds kept their senses alert and thanks to the elf's keen senses, a handful of darkspawn were dispatched of without everyone engaging in battle. Some she was able to pick off with her bow, while others the three knights would attend to while she kept watch over an ambush. However, it didn't take long to become quite lost amidst the greenery and the darkened sky. Even with Aerianes's keen sense of direction, she couldn't help but feel that the woods were shifting about, blocking their paths at times, and then opening later to reveal a new way through the Wilds. She could sense the nervous tension in the group, the fear of losing their way and wasting away in the Wilds, or becoming victim to some of the Chasind. However, the young woman tried to stay focused. The vials and the treaties were why they were here, and that was what they would retrieve, or die trying.

"Wait..." Alistair trailed, slowing his steps. "Do you see that up ahead? It's a bridge. We haven't passed that yet. Perhaps that will lead us to the old archives? I wonder?"

Aerianes put a hand on his arm. "Hold on...Do you smell that?"

His put his nose to the air, as did the other men, and sniffed. His nose crinkled and he looked back at her. "Darkspawn. But...how can you sense them so much quicker than I? You have yet to master the taint in your blood!"

She grinned and placed a finger on her nose. "The nose knows Alistair." She looked ahead and sighed. "What should we do?"

"Charge them head on!" Daveth exclaimed. "With that river raging below the bridge, it's not as if we have any other choice!"

"That's suicide Daveth, and you know it!" she glared back at the human. He sighed and put his hands behind his back, defeated.

Jory crossed his arms and huffed. "And I supposed you have a better plan, elf?"

Her hand was pulled back and released so quickly, Jory barely had enough time to register the contact before he felt pain explode on his left cheek. He groaned and glared at the furious elf who stood before him, her daggers unsheathed, ready to strike if he dared.

Jory spit out a bit of blood that filled his mouth and sneered. "Why you little-"

"Enough!" Alistair interjected. "We are here to fight together, not against each other!" He stepped in between the two soldiers and pushed them farther apart. They continued to glare at each other, but backed down as the Warden asked. He sighed and turned to Jory. "Ser knight, apologize to her about your rudeness and disregard for her and her people. And you," he turned to Aerianes. "Apologize for sucker punching him."

"He saw it coming head on!" she protested.

Alistair raised his eyebrows at her, as a parent would when scolding a child. Aerianes huffed and stomped over to the balding knight. He extended his hand and she took it grudgingly, the two of the mumbling their apologies.

Alistair grinned and nodded. "Now, let's all play nice and maybe, just maybe, we'll get out of these creepy Wilds alive. Now, Aerianes, am I to assume that you have a strategy for the task at hand?"

She nodded. "I know you can sense them, Alistair. There are a lot of them. Our best bet is to weed them out slowly. They may be strong, but mostly they are stupid - or so I'm told."

"And how do we bait them?" Daveth asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Aerianes took three arrows from her quiver and got Alistair to hold them, tips pointing away from him. He looked at her with a puzzling face, but did as she wanted. The elf removed two flint stones from her pack and wrapped dry grass around the arrow tips. In no time, they were blunted by the small bundles of plant life. Aerianes began to bang the stones together, and after a few tries, the sparks caught the arrows, setting the heads alight with fire.

Aerianes took the arrows and carefully placed all three on her bow, one on top of the other. "This seems as good a way as any," she replied and aimed the bow upward. Letting the arrows fly, they arched through the night sky and descended just on the other side of the bridge where they could hear the howl of a darkspawn.

Then, they came. At least a dozen that crossed the bridge towards them, and five more that lined the shore on the other side, pelting arrows their way. Aerianes quickly turned her attention to the enemy archers and let her own arrows fly. However, they were a good hundred paces away, and even with her eyesight, it was difficult to land a good shot. The advantage was that it was difficult for them as well.

Alistair, Daveth, and Jory set to work on the small horde that ran towards them. Aerianes turned her attention to them as well, trying to help out as much as she could from the distance. A few of the shots did cripple the darkspawn, rendering them useless against the soldiers. However, they were still at a six to one disadvantage.

Aerianes saw her opening between the battle in front of her and did not hesitate to take it. She kept low to the ground and hurried across the forest floor, missing the futile swipes that tried to make contact with her. She grinned as she passed the fight and continued to the bridge. She would dispose of these darkspawn archers herself.

She saw an arrow coming towards her head and she fell to her knees, sliding across the dew soaked grass and mud, releasing her own arrow and making contact with the small abomination. It fell to the ground, bleeding out from its throat where the arrow had pierced it.

Another arrow was headed her way from the side. In a flash, the elf had her new dagger out and slashed at the arrow, splintering it and sending it to the ground. Another arrow made its way out of her quiver and on a collision course with that archer. However, the darkspawn avoided it with ease and released another. This one made contact with her, impaling her thigh. Aerianes screamed in pain, but continued her onslaught, releasing another arrow without missing a beat; her body running on pure adrenaline and instinct now.

The darkspawn fell, blood spurting from its head as it collapsed.

With a strained effort, she pulled the arrow from her flesh and threw it aside. She dropped her bow and unsheathed her other dagger. With deadly precision she sent them flying towards two more archers. The blades went right through their bows and armor like a hot knife through butter and killed the two offenders. Only one archer remained, and it was beckoning her forward, across the bridge.

Who was she to say no?

She threw down her quiver and removed a hidden short blade from her knee high boot and advanced as quick as she could with her injury. She kept her focus on the darkspawn ahead of her that taunted her, and advanced upon it.

If it weren't for the seething pain in her left thigh, she never would have flinched and seen the the leg traps that lay sprawled out for her. With her good leg, Aerianes vaulted herself over the traps and rolled onto the ground on the other side. She gained her feet quickly and attacked the archer with unrelenting fury. It withdrew its own blade and tried to block her, but she gained the advantage and slashed its throat, sending it flying backwards into the river.

Aerianes suddenly felt woozy and lost her balance slightly, grabbing onto the trunk of a nearby tree for support. It wasn't until she heard the shouting of the other men that she finally focused on her surroundings.

"Aerianes!" Jory yelled from afar. "Look out! Behind you!"

They were gaining ground fast and she remembered the traps. "No! Wait!" she yelled, ignoring whatever warning they were giving her. "There are traps! JORY STOP!"

But it was too late. He ran right into the leg trap and it closed with jagged sharp teeth around his calf. He yelped in pain and fell to the ground.

Aerianes gasped and tried to run towards him, but a rough and hot hand grabbed her throat, pulling her away from the soldiers. A darkspawn that towered over her had gained the element of surprise. It was the one they tried to warn her about. It brought her face within inches of its own and snarled at her. Its breath was hot and rancid, making her very nose hairs burn up. Its face looked as though it had melted off, and the sharp teeth were formed in a permanent evil grin. The elf grasped at the hand with her own, but it was not loosening its grip. Aerianes closed her eyes.

_'Oh gods...this is it...'_

Suddenly, she felt a hot spray of liquid cover her face and the grip around her neck loosen. She fell to the ground with a loud thump and groaned at the pain, coughing to try and get her breath back. She turned and saw the darkspawn sprawled on the ground, an arrow planted in his forehead. Her face was covered in its darkened blood.

She turned and saw the soldiers gathered round Jory and she crawled to them. Quickly, she disarmed the trap and pulled the teeth from his flesh. He cried out in pain, but was grateful for the contraption to be gone. He sat back as Daveth quickly tended to the leg and Alistair quickly began to examine Aerianes's thigh and neck.

"That arrow got you good," he said, a smile in his voice, glad that she was alive still. He poured the river water over it and quickly began to wrap his bandages from his pack around it. She noticed his face was flushed from being so close to her intimate areas and smirked.

"Thanks," she finally said.

He helped her to the river where she splashed the blood off of her face, watching the tainted liquid travel downstream. She wondered if the animals who would drink this water would become tainted as well; but quickly pushed it from her mind. She didn't like to think that the blood could affect everyone so drastically.

Alistair took her face in his hand and examined her closely. "Are you alright? Can you breath properly?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just...stunned, is all."

He shook his head, amused. "I don't know whether to consider you an idiot or a hero for braving five of those bastards on your own. You either have the luck of the Maker shoved up your backside, or you have one crazy death wish."

She laughed. "I guess we'll see which one it is sometime huh?"

Daveth soon approached them, Jory with an arm slung over his shoulder for support. The knight looked down at the elf and finally smiled at her.

"You tired to warn me about those traps," he said. "Thank you."

She smirked. "A lot of good it did, I see."

Alistair laughed and looked back over at Aerianes. "Can you stand up? Do you need me to help?"

Slowly, she pushed herself up onto her feet, her legs shaking momentarily as she tried to gain her strength back. She stood still for a moment and put a little weight on her leg. Although it stung and made her eyes tear up, walking was doable. She smiled at the men and limped forward.

Alistair tapped her shoulder and she turned, puzzled at what he might want. Without a word, he dangled her bow and quiver in front of her, his eyebrow raised. She smiled and took her weapons back. She strained to bend down over her other kills and ripped the daggers from their corpses. Her quiver held only two arrows now, and she hoped that they would be enough to see her through the rest of the night. She shuddered at the thought of fighting with her injury, but she would do it, if need be.

"Hold on!" Alistair called. He bent down over the assailant who almost choked the elf to death and brought out the vials. "Before we forget," he grinned and filled three of them and placed them back in his pack. He stood up and pointed just ahead of them. "Look! The archives are just over there, in those crumbled posts. Let's get going."

Aerianes nodded and they slowly made their way to the archives, her head swimming from fatigue and hunger.

As they neared the entrance, Alistair ran ahead to check for any ambush or enemies. When he thought the coast was clear, he motioned for them to come forward.

Ahead of them lay a broken chest. Aerianes seemed sure that it held the scrolls and began to move towards it. It was the movement out of the corner of her eye that made her stop and turn, bringing out her loaded bow in a flash.

"Well, well, what have we here? Are you a vulture? A wanderer? A scavenger, picking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned. Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn filled Wilds of mine in search of easy prey?"

The woman who emerged seemingly from thin air was tall, elegant looking, with dark hair pinned up and full pink lips. Her eyes were amber, but they held a darkness in them that made Aerianes shiver. He long black skirt was tattered in places and her top hung loosely about her shoulders, draping over just the bare essentials of her chest. On her back, a long wooden staff was holstered and Aerianes guessed her to be a magic wielder. She glared up at the woman and kept her weapons at the ready.

She simply leaned on a crumbled pillar and crossed her arms, staring down at the four strangers. "What say you, hmm? Scavenger? Or intruder?

Aerianes lowered her bow slightly and narrowed her gaze. "Intruder? And just how are these your Wilds?"

The woman scoffed, "Because I know them as only one who owns them would. Can you claim the same?" As she spoke, she began to pace in her little area, keeping a constant eye on the soldiers. "I have watched your progress for some time. 'Where do they go?' I wondered, 'Why are they here?' And now you disturb the ashes none have touched for so long. Why is that?"

Alistair nudged the elf just as she was about to speak. She turned her eyes slightly to catch his. He shook his head, "Don't answer her. She looks Chasind, and that means other can be nearby."

The woman must have heard, for she laughed at the Warden. "You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?"

He glared. "Yes...swooping is...bad."

"She's a Witch of the Wilds, she is!" Daveth exclaimed. "She'll turn us into toads!"

She glared at him, slightly amused it seemed by his comment. "Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fantasies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own?" She nodded at Aerianes and smirked. "You there, women do not scare as easily as little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine."

The elf knew that they were getting nowhere acting all suspicious and scared of this woman. She seemed harmless enough. After all, had she wanted to dispose of them, she supposed that she could have done it much earlier on - if she was watching them as she claimed. Aerianes sighed and stepped forward. "You can call me Aerianes."

The woman smiled, satisfied with the elf's bravery. "And you may call me Morrigan, if you wish. Shall I guess your purpose? You sought something in that chest," she motioned to the broken pieces of wood. "Something that is here no longer?"

"'Here no longer'? You stole them, didn't you?!" Alistair accused, pointing at Morrigan with distaste. "You're...some kind of...sneaky...witch-thief!"

Aerianes felt like smacking her forehead.

Morrigan smirked, quite satisfied, it seemed, with the man's accusations. "How very eloquent," she mused. "But how does one steal from dead men?"

"Quite easily, it seems." Alistair retorted. "Those documents are Grey Warden property, and I suggest you return them."

She frowned in return, stiffening her body. "I will no, for 'twas not I who removed them. Invoke a name that means nothing here any longer, if you wish. I am not threatened."

Aerianes was puzzled. "Then who removed them?"

"'Twas my mother, in fact."

She seemed surprised by Morrigan's response and studied the woman carefully. "Your mother?"

Morrigan sighed, obviously frustrated by the conversation. "Yes, my mother. Did you assumed I spawned from a log?"

"A thieving, weird-talking log, perhaps." Alistair muttered under his breath.

"Not all in the Wilds are monsters. Flowers grow here as well as toads. If you wish," she continued. "I will take you to my mother. 'Tis not far from here, and you may ask for your papers if you like."

Alistair turned to the small elf. "We should get those treaties, but I distrust this...Morrigan's sudden appearance. It's too convenient."

Aerianes thought for a moment. On one hand, they could try to fight this woman, and most likely die trying. She seemed to possess some strong magical talent that she seemed to know how to use. They could just walk away, but they needed those treaties, Aerianes knew. Duncan had told them that they were needed in the time of a Blight, and, well, this just so happened to be as such. She understood that their choice was really no choice at all.

She looked at Alistair reassuringly. "I say we go with her."

Daveth nudged her. "She'll put us in a pot, she will! Just you watch!"

"If the pot's warmer than this forest, it'd be a nice change!" Jory retorted, still leaning on the other soldier for support.

Morrigan sighed and turned from them. "Follow me, if it pleases you."

So they did. Following the witch, they travelled even deeper into the Wilds than Aerianes could have imagined.


	9. Chapter 9

**Part One  
Chapter Nine  
The Lion, The Witch, and The Joining**

**

* * *

**

Morrigan was very useful to have around, it seemed. As they ventured deeper and deeper into the Wilds, she was able to tell them of any darkspawn that could have been hiding about. When she was right, and the stench of death and evil reeked throughout the trees, she was able to lead them around the atrocities and out of harms way. Aerianes was glad for it; she and Jory were in no position to be fighting anymore.

It wasn't much longer before they reached a clearing in the Wilds. They passed a large lake that was spawning many reeds and cattails that grew unimaginably high in the murky water. The moon reflected itself brightly against the still waters and created more light for the hut ahead of them to bathe in.

A fire roared outside of the small shack and Morrigan slowed her pace as an old woman emerged from the wooden door. She saw the group coming and walked to the fire. Morrigan did not smile or acknowledge the woman's presence until they were upon her and she finally spoke.

"Greetings, mother. I bring you four Grey Wardens who-"

"I see them girl," the woman interrupted, practically shooing Morrigan away from her. The young woman took her leave and stood behind the old woman. "Hmm..." she mused. "Just as I expected."

Alistair laughed. "Are we supposed to believe you were expecting us?"

She shot him a look that shut his mouth rather quickly. "You are required to do nothing, least of all believe. Shut one's eyes tight, or open one's arms wide; either way, one's a fool!"

"She's a Witch I tell you!" Daveth exclaimed without any regard for the woman's presence. "We shouldn't be talking to her!"

"Quiet Daveth!" Jory hushed. "If she's really a Witch, do you want to make her mad?"

The woman grinned. "There's a good lad. Sadly irrelevant to the large scheme of things, but it is not I who decides. Believe what you will." She turned her eye upon Aerianes and tilted her head slightly. "And what of you? Does your elven mind give you a different viewpoint? What do you believe?"

Aerianes seemed offended by this old woman's ramblings. She was impatient to get back to Ostagar and this woman was blocking their path. She narrowed her gaze and stared intensely at the old woman. "I'm no fool, if that's what your asking."

Those old eyes glimmered mischievously at her. "If you must protest so quickly, perhaps I need not ask?" Her eyes grew smaller and she studied the elf's face closely. "So much of you is uncertain...and yet I believe. Do I?" She seemed to consider her options for a moment and then laughed. "Why yes, it seems I do!"

Alistair nudged Aerianes and grinned. "So this is the dreaded Witch of the Wilds?"

The old woman grinned. "Witch of the Wilds, eh? Morrigan must have told you that," she motioned to her stunned daughter. Morrigan shot daggers at the woman. "She fancies such tales, though she would never admit it. Oh," the woman stared off into the distance, her eyes glazing over. "How she dances under the moon!"

The young witch shook her head, sighing. "They did not come to listen to you wilds tales, mother."

With her words, the woman snapped back to reality and nodded. "True. They came for their treaties, yes?" She walked over to the fire and opened a small crate, pulling out several scrolls of ancient looking paper. She handed it over to Aerianes, and she took them, conscious not to rip them or allow the frail sheets to crumble to dust in her grip. The witch narrowed her vision on Alistair. "And before you begin your barking, your precious seals wore off long ago. I have protected these."

Alistair's face immediately reddened and she placed a hand on the hilt of his blade. "You!...Oh, you protected them?" he asked, relaxing his postured and bringing his hand back down, looking rather embarrassed.

The woman laughed, winking at Aerianes. The action sent chills down the elf's spine. "And why not?" she asked. "Take them to your Grey Wardens and tell them this Blight is greater than they realize."

Aerianes snapped to attention and eyed the witch suspiciously. She really did seem like a crazy old bat. She supposed so many years of being torn apart from any society might do that to you. Morrigan, she noticed, continued to will the floor to swallow her whole whilst her mother talked. But now she was talking about the Blight being worse? What could be worse than thousands of darkspawn coming to battle tomorrow to kill them all?

She glared at the witch. "What do you mean, 'The threat is greater than they realize'?"

She shrugged her aged shoulders in response, her dry, grey hair bouncing. "Either the threat is more, or they realize less. Or perhaps the threat is nothing, or perhaps they realize nothing!" She threw her head back and began to laugh hysterically, her cackle echoing through the open plain of the Wilds and chilling the blood of the four soldiers. In moments, she stopped and wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, don't mind me," she said. "You have what you came for."

Morrigan nodded, stepping forward eagerly. "Time for you to go then."

The woman frowned and slapped at Morrigan's arm. "Do not be ridiculous girl! These are your guests!"

She sighed, her posture slacked and she nodded slowly. "Oh, very well. I will show you out of the woods. Follow me."

As the young woman began to lead them away from the small shack, Aerianes turned to catch a glimpse at the aged woman one more time. For the mother of someone who couldn't be much older than the elf herself, she seemed quite ancient. Her hair was the dry, brittle grey of bad aging and extended life. Her eyes were faded, and set deep into the sockets where wrinkled skin covered them. She seemed to be a contradiction to herself. She looked tired, yet spoke with so much life. She seemed wise, but would lose herself at moments and have to be brought back. Aerianes had never head many stories about the 'Witch of the Wilds', but she wasn't sure that this woman was capable of striking fear into the hearts of so many.

They left that place and Aerianes was relieved for it. She was anxious to get this 'Joining' over with and begin the work of a true Grey Warden. But as they made their way back to the Wilds, Aerianes caught sight of a beautiful flower that grew amongst the moss ridden ground. Its petals where the purest white Aerianes had ever seen, and the middle was so red, you could swear it was made of fresh blood. She glanced ahead and saw that the four were ahead of her. She bent down, slowly with her injured leg howling at her, and picked two of them, gently placing them in her pouch.

It was true, flowers did grow here, as well at toads.

* * *

"Let's get back to Duncan," Alistair said as the massive gates closed behind them. The dawn had peaked over the horizon and the post-summer chill was setting in. He grinned at Aerianes, "Otherwise, you won't be able to swing a dead cat without hitting a darkspawn."

She returned the gesture and the four were off. Duncan's tent was not far, and when they arrived, he didn't seem the least bit relieved. Aerianes guessed that he knew they would make it. But only because of Morrigan's ability to keep them cloaked from the darkspawn on the way back. She and Jory would have been too wounded to fight. Perhaps she should tell Duncan about this.

'Hold your tongue, you idiot!' she thought to herself. 'If what Alistair said is true, about apostates, then the woman who helped you would be sent to become one of those...creepy tranquil.'

She shuddered at the thought.

"So, you've returned from the Wilds," Duncan said approvingly. "Have you been successful?"

Aerianes nodded. "We have."

He nodded. "Good. I've had the Circle Mages preparing. With the blood you've returned, we can begin the Joining immediately."

"Now will you tell us what this ritual is about?" the elf pressed, exasperated that it was still remaining so secret between everyone.

Duncan turned his attention to her, seeming to pick his words carefully. "I will not lie; the Grey Wardens pay a heavy price to become what we are. Fate may decree that you pay your price now, rather than later."

Her eyes widened. "So you're saying...this ritual can kill us?"

"As could any darkspawn you might face in battle." He saw the slight fear in the faces of the recruits and pressed on, "You three would not have been chosen, however, if I did not think that you had a chance to survive."

Daveth danced about on the spot, excitedly. "Let's go then. I'm anxious to see this Joining now."

"I agree," Jory nodded. "Let's have it done."

Duncan turned to his fellow Warden. "Alistair, take them to the old temple."

Alistair did so, without saying a word. That, for some reason, disturbed Aerianes even more.

* * *

"The more I hear about this Joining, the less I like it."

"Are you blubbering again?"

"Why all these damned tests? Have I not earned my place?"

"Maybe it's tradition. Maybe..." Daveth smirked a Jory, "They're just trying to annoy you."

They were in the same spot where Aerianes had met Alistair for the first time. Although now, the morning sun had not quite risen, and it left the land darker than it was during the night. The torches about the circular structure had been lit, and a chalice sat upon a table. The setting would have been something mystical and foreign to Aerianes, had she not been so curious about the ritual they were about to partake in. She wondered how you could survive the ritual if it could kill you. If it was a battle to the death, she was pretty sure she would have no problem against Jory, for he was as wounded as she; however, she would never be able to take on Daveth in this state. For that, she would need the luck of the gods themselves, and she was pretty sure that they were done dishing it out to her.

She glanced over to Alistair and saw that he looked quite somber. Even with the two soldiers bickering, he didn't say a word. Aerianes felt her stomach tighten, but she kept it to herself. She was still intent to show no weakness to these shems...humans...

She turned to Jory and Daveth, laughing. "I swear I'm the bravest one here! And I'm an elven woman!"

Jory rolled his eyes at her and continued his conversation with Daveth, turning his back slightly to Aerianes. She glared.

"I only know that my wife is in Highever with a child on the way. If they had warned me..." he stopped for a moment, anguish setting in, his posture slumping. "It just doesn't seem fair."

Daveth scoffed. "Would you have come here if they warned you? Maybe that's why they don't. The Wardens do what they must, right?"

"Including sacrificing us?!" Jory yelled.

He nodded. "I'd sacrifice a lot more if it meant ending the Blight."

Aerianes nodded. "You make a good point." She suddenly liked this man, he wasn't as dimwitted as he let on.

Daveth smiled at her in return, then looked back at Jory. "You saw those darkspawn, ser knight. Wouldn't you die to protect your pretty wife from them?"

Jory turned his gaze to the ground, ashamed of himself for being so childish. "I..."

"Maybe we'll die. Maybe we'll all die. But if nobody stops the darkspawn, we'll die for sure."

He looked at Daveth, nodding. "I've just never faced a foe I could not engage with my blade."

It was then that Duncan reappeared. He walked solemnly to the table, in between the recruits and Aerianes watched his every move, mindful of any foul play. Suddenly, she felt very wary about this situation.

"At last we come to the Joining." He turned to them, not a single emotion on his face. "The Grey Wardens were founded during the first Blight, when humanity stood on the verge of annihilation. So it was that the Grey Wardens drank of darkspawn blood and mastered their taint."

Jory gulped. "W-We're going to drink the blood of those...those creatures?"

Duncan nodded. "As the first Grey Wardens did before us, as we did before you. This is the source of our power and victory."

"Those who survive the Joining become immune to the taint," Alistair said. "We can sense it in the darkspawn and use it to slay the archdemon."

Aerianes looked puzzled, her internal alarms buzzing wildly. Suddenly, her stomach seemed like it was trying to digest an iron ball. "Those who survive?"

"Not all who drink the blood will survive; and those who do are forever changed. This is why the Joining is a secret. It is the price we pay," Duncan replied.

Out of the corner of her eye, Aerianes saw Jory sweating suddenly. He shifted nervously from foot to foot, his hand clenching and unclenching. He eyed the chalice that sat before them as Duncan emptied the vials of blood into it. She could tell that Jory was having extreme doubts about his opportunity now.

Duncan finished with the vials and turned once again to the group. "We speak only a few words prior to the Joining, but these words have been said since the first. Alistair, if you would?"

The Warden nodded and bowed his head. "Join us, brothers and sisters, Join us in the shadows where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you parish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten, and that one day, we shall join you."

Duncan raised the chalice to them, the blood swirling about in its crevice. He stepped towards them slowly. There was something very mystical in all of this, and Aerianes knew that this was a sacred act, and even if she was not to survive, she would be glad for the opportunity to be a part of the Grey Wardens; even if for just a moment. She watched the chalice shine in the light of the rising sun and felt its power, as if a force was calling out to her from the cup itself. She was both amazed and terrified.

"Daveth, step forward."

The man did so, and Duncan handed him the large cup. Daveth took it and studied peeked inside. The look on his face told Aerianes that he was not prepared for the horror that was contained inside. He glanced at Duncan and tipped the cup to his lips. Aerianes felt her own stomach lurch a bit at the sight of a human drinking the blood of a creature. She knew that there were human stories of elves partaking in such activities, but it was all a work of fiction. She was just as disgusted as anyone would be, she supposed.

After he was done his share, Daveth returned the cup to Duncan and stood there.

Nothing happened.

_'Thank the gods!'_ Aerianes thought. _'Maybe it's not as dangerous as th-'_

Suddenly, he began to stagger, perspiration trickling down the back of his neck. Daveth slouched over and clutched his head in agony. He cried out as he stumbled about, tears streaking down his face. His body stiffened straight up momentarily, and that was when she saw it; his eyes. The eyes that she was sure were some variation of brown before, now took on an ominous white glow, and very appendages that sat in his sockets became the grey of a stone.

Daveth screamed, sending the birds nesting in the surrounding trees into the air with fear.

"Maker's breath!" Jory exclaimed, backing up to the wall.

Finally, after what seemed like eons of waiting, Daveth fell to the ground, convulsing until he moved no longer and his last breath escaped him.

"I am sorry Daveth," Duncan said, but he did not seem to put-off by this. Perhaps he had done many Joinings and this was nothing new. It wouldn't surprise Aerianes; she supposed one can get quite used to seeing death if one saw it enough.

Duncan turned to the shaken knight who continued to watch the lifeless body on the ground. "Step forward Jory."

Immediately, Jory withdrew his sword and pointed it towards Duncan. Fear and desperation were alight in his eyes, his breath quickening in panic. He staggered again back to the wall and seemed to try and will it to disappear so he could make his escape. He started, wild eyed at Duncan. "But...I-I have a wife...a child! Had I known-"

"There is no turning back." Duncan replied evenly. However, Jory seemed determined to break free. He advanced upon Duncan and the man withdrew his dagger. As Jory made his fatal swing, Duncan - chalice in one had, dagger in the other - knocked the sword out of the soldier's hand. He pinned Jory to the wall and his blade was thrust into the man soft, fleshy stomach. He gasped as the blood began to pour from the wound.

"I am sorry." Duncan said as the life left the knight.

Aerianes gasped as Jory fell to the floor in a bloody heap, the red gore spilling out over the stone. She stared at Duncan in disbelief. She had traveled with this man, trusted him to keep her safe while they made their way to Ostagar, and now he had killed someone simply because they wanted to _live_? She wasn't so sure about this now, and she felt her own sweat trickle down the back of her neck.

Duncan slid his blade back into its scabbard and walked over to Aerianes, who now had fear written all over her visage. "The Joining is not yet complete," he said, offering her the cup. "You are called to submit yourself to the taint for the greater good."

She eyed the cup, stained with the blood from the darkspawn. He stomach churned and she felt as though her dinner might make a reappearance. She was now terrified, but what choice did she have, really? She was told that there were going to be dangers, and did she really expect to not encounter difficult tasks that involved risking her life? It was a life that Duncan had warned her about from the beginning.

She thought about the mirror, about Tamlen. She was told that the taint inside of her would kill her slowly, and that this was the only cure. This was truly the double edged knife coming after her. Her options were to drink it, and face the possibility of death, or not drink it and face the possibility of death. She could probably waste Alistair without much difficulty, but she was sure that even her stealth and training could not prepare her for what Duncan could do. And even if she escaped, what would she do? Her clan had fled north, she was alone, and dying.

She took the chalice from Duncan and raised it to her mouth, her lips touching the cool metal. She tipped the cup forward and allowed the viscous, black liquid into her mouth. Aerianes drank quickly, willing her stomach to hold itself. The blood seeped down her throat, seeming to coat it entirely as it made its way into her system.

Finally, she put the cup back in Duncan's hands and stood still. It was only a moment later that her stomach lurched, her head spun, and her blood was set aflame. Her nerves tingled and she could feel her entire body vibrating. She saw something in her mind's eye. Amidst a sea of fog and fire, she saw a monstrosity that made her body freeze. A monster stared at her, it's huge teeth gnashing and it seemed to try and get to her. Aerianes screamed and backed away, but the beast continued its advance. She tried to draw her blades, but her body wouldn't obey her orders. She cried out again as it drew closer, closer still.

It was then that she blacked out and felt the cold fingers of death wrap itself around her soul.


	10. Chapter 10

**Part One  
Chapter Ten  
Someday the Dream Will End**

**

* * *

**

Her eyes slowly fluttered open again and slowly two faces came into focus. She recognized them and began to recollect what had happened.

Jory and Daveth were dead.

She was alive.

_'Alive?'_

"It is finished," the war worn man said. He extended his hand as she got up, pulling her to her feet. "Welcome."

The ringing in her head was immense, and she staggered for a moment, regaining her balance. She felt as though she had just fallen from a giant oak tree in the woods. Every bone in her body creaked and her muscles screamed for rest. She shook her head and cleared her muddled thoughts, once again coming around to the reality of her situation. She had survived. It was now official; Aerianes was a Grey Warden.

"Two more deaths," the younger one shook his head. Alistair. "In my Joining, only one of us died, but it was...horrible. I'm glad that at least one of you made it through." He smiled at her, but it was forced, she could tell. Aerianes didn't think he agreed with killing Jory any more than she did. She just couldn't understand why Duncan did it. She felt uneasy while he stood next to her, and she inched away a bit.

"How do you feel?" Duncan asked.

She couldn't quite meet his gaze and she huffed. "It's over. I'm fine."

"Did you have dreams?" Alistair asked. "I had terrible dreams after my Joining."

"Such dreams come when you begin to sense the darkspawn, as we all do," Duncan quickly explained. "That, and many other things can be explained in the coming months."

'If I make it that long with you around,' she thought bitterly. Suddenly, a shoddy pendant was dangling in front of her. She turned to see Alistair swooshing it in front of her.

"Before I forget, there is one last part to your Joining."

_'Here we go.'_

"We take some of that blood and put it in a pendant." He took her hand and turned her palm up, placing the thing in her hand. "Something to remind us...of those who didn't make it this far."

She looked at the small artifact. The crystal was small and etched from unskilled hands. There were nicks all over the pendant, but the necklace itself was warm. She held it close and felt an odd sensation of being watched. Perhaps this is what it felt like to have the darkspawn taint flowing through you? Was the archdemon watching any and all tainted creatures? Aerianes shuddered thinking of the possibility of a monster watching her every step. She tied the strings around her neck and let the blood pendant rest just below her collarbone.

Duncan spoke again. "Take some time. You have had quite the ordeal for the past few days. I can see that you are wounded, tired and hungry. Alistair," he turned to the young man. "Take our new Warden to the mages tents and have her healed. You are still responsible for this one. Make sure she rests for a period and has some nourishment."

Alistair nodded. "Yes, Duncan."

"And as for you," he said, "When you are ready, I'd like for you to accompany me to a meeting with the king."

She needed no explanation from him. She didn't want to hear him speak any longer. After watching him kill a soon to be father, Aerianes just couldn't show any respect for this shem. She kept her gaze on the floor and sighed. "Very well."

"Good. The meeting is to the west, down the stairs past this part of the temple. We will be starting in a few hours, so please attend when you are able."

With that, he was gone. Not a single apology for the murder he committed, not batting an eye at the bodies that still lay on the floor. Aerianes was infuriated. She wanted to attack him and make him sorry for what he did, but she knew she could not. He was now her superior officer, and she could not attack someone with that authority. However, that didn't mean she would have to respect him.

Even though she didn't particularly like Jory and Daveth, they deserved better.

"Come on," Alistair put an arm around her and lead her away from the silent carnage. "Let's get you something to eat huh? You must be starving!"

Aerianes nodded and let the young man lead her away from the gore and place where she felt as though she left her humanity behind.

As they began to exit the temple, Alistair began to ramble on about his own Joining, to break the tense silence.

"I nearly gagged on the blood, to begin with. When it was time for the next one to go, well, let's just say that before he took his share his pants became a darker shade than before," he laughed to himself. "Nobody laughed at the time, but I could tell we were doing our best to hold it back."

"Did Duncan murder anyone at your Joining?" Aerianes spat. She could no longer hold back her anger and frustration. She stopped walking and stood firmly in her spot, fists clenched and her face red with rage. She just couldn't seem to understand how Alistair had respect for this man. He had no regard for the human life!

Alistair stopped in his tracks and turned to Aerianes. He saw how upset she was and sighed. "Look, you don't quite understand the situation here. When we partake in the Joining, we can't turn back, and there are good reasons for doing so."

Aerianes glared. "Enlighten me."

"Well, think of it this way; when you are in the grips of battle and your enemy has overwhelmed you, or even just snuck up behind you, tell me, would you want someone in your party with a yellow streak down his backside? You would lose the battle for sure with a soldier that couldn't handle a little bit of a gamble!

"Now, you have to also understand that the Grey Wardens were legendary many centuries ago. Since the last Blight, we've been forgotten and cast aside due to some...unfortunate mishaps and misunderstandings. Now, we stand on the very brink of another great Blight and the Wardens are in need of as many recruits as possible. Tell me, if Jory fled and Duncan had let him go, how many people do you think would find out about the Joining within a year's time?"

Although the elf knew Alistair had a good point, she was not so ready to give in quite yet. Perhaps it was because she still didn't trust the humans, maybe it was because she was scared she could be the next one to be stabbed by a now fellow Warden. Or perhaps she just knew that the death was unfair, even if it was to a human.

"You could have swore him to secrecy," she responded flatly. It was a weak attempt at a debate, and she knew it.

Alistair shook his head. "He would talk. Eventually everyone does when something like this happens to them. Even it if wasn't right away, in due time his wife would have gotten it out of him; or his friends; his fellow soldiers. For all we know, he could have talked one night in a bar months from now after an ale too many.

"Look, I understand that you are shaken by what happened; anyone in your predicament would be. But you must understand that being in the Grey Wardens is not something that can be taken lightly. You cannot be in it for the glory as ser Jory was. There is no glory in what we do, and rarely any recognition. Depressing, I know, but that's the way it is. Duncan did what he did because, like it or not, it was the right thing to do - the only thing to do."

Even though Aerianes had lost the debate, she was glad for it. It restored a little of her faith in Duncan again, and told her a little more about her fellow Warden as well. He played the dumb card a bit, but he was far from it. He was sarcastic in heavy situations, but really, he cared a lot for the people around him and that seemed to be his way of making tense situations a bit less...well...tense.

She respected Alistair. Perhaps even a little more than Duncan.

'_I never thought I would see the day...'_ she grinned inwardly.

Alistair smiled and began to walk again. "Now will you hurry? We have little time to rest before your big meeting with the king. Then he'll be upset...and start crying. And well, it just won't be pretty."

They walked to the bright tents guarded by huge men in armor. Aerianes guessed they were the templars that watched over the mages as they went about their lives. She wondered what it must be like, living in that huge tower she had heard of from the keeper; living a life under the eyes of so many soldiers. Was it something that the mages agreed to, she wondered? From the looks on the templar's faces, she thought not. They all seemed suspicious of everyone and every spell that was cast, no matter how flimsy.

She couldn't blame Morrigan for not wanting to be a Circle Mage. It seemed like a very sheltered life.

"Ho there." A soldier moved in front of the entrance and blocked their path. "The Mages cannot be disturbed. As of right now, most are in the Fade and preparing for battle, and they cannot be bothered."

"Look, this is official Grey Warden business," Alistair said. "My companion here has been injured in the Kocari Wilds and must see a healer at once to restore her strength and stamina. You cannot deny us the right to a healer."

"There are plenty of nurses and priestesses that can help you up in the infirmary camp. Go see them." The soldier pointed past them and did not budge. It seemed he was dead set on keeping her and Alistair from entering the encampment. Aerianes sighed and put a hand on Alistair's shoulder.

"Come on, let's just go."

"But!"

"I would be able to see them," came an oddly familiar voice from the background. The guard stepped aside and let the old woman through.

"Wynne!" Aerianes exclaimed. She did not expect to see the mage again.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Alistair asked, his mouth hanging open.

"Only long enough to know each other's names; and to know at least her business here," Wynne replied. She narrowed her disapproving gaze on Alistair's fly catcher. "Please close your mouth, young man; it's unbecoming in the presence of a lady."

He obliged immediately, his face flushing red.

Wynne smiled and turned back to Aerianes. She saw the dried blood on her leg and the bumps and bruises she sustained. She clucked her tongue and welcomed her and Alistair into the camp.

"I see you survived your Joining. I congratulate you, young lady."

Aerianes looked up at her. "How did you-?"

"Oh, I knew Duncan from long ago," she mused, a faint glimmer in her aged eyes. "He told me about the Joining and what the consequences could be. Of course, that was long ago, but I knew that the tradition would not falter, and I'm glad for it. We can't be letting in spineless warriors and deserters now, can we?"

They entered a large tent where there were beds made up on the ground and potions on tables and robes strewn about. It was dark inside as the sun's rays couldn't permeate through the thickness of the fabrics, so lamps were lit about the area. Wynne motioned for Aerianes to take the closest bedroll and lie down. She did as told.

The woman turned to Alistair. "Are you staying to watch? Or are you needing healing as well?"

He blushed an even darker shade of crimson that they could both see in the tent's dim lighting.

"I-I...well..."

"Alistair, I am really hungry," Aerianes offered, smiling at the bumbling man at the tent's entrance. "I'm sure by the time you come back, Wynne will be finished."

Wynne nodded.

"Oh! Right! Well then, let me get you something. Any requests?"

She smiled, her light eyes shining. "I think anything you bring will suffice. I know we aren't exactly traveling in the lap of luxury."

He smiled back at her and vanished.

Wynne cleared her throat and Aerianes lay back on the bed. She began to concentrate and slowly, her hands began to glow with a bright light. The elf felt a cleansing sort of aura in the room and it rushed over her body, making her nerves dance and her toes tingle. It was a calming sensation nonetheless and so quiet. She felt herself slipping away; her eyelids drooping from the intense weight of fatigue.

As Wynne worked, Aerianes slept.

* * *

_'Why didn't you help me?'_

_'Tamlen, I tried, really I did! But...it was too late. The Warden-'_

_'Trusting humans, I see? And you have your trust shaken by the 'murder' he committed? Don't forget, lethallan, you killed many a human that crossed you as well! How are you any better?'_

_'I-I never thought...'_

_'You never thought? That's right, because you never think do you?! Now you've left your clan to die in some battle that doesn't even concern us, while I rot out in the forests? I thought you cared...'_

_'Tamlen! I do care! Tamlen!'_

She woke up with a start; sweat soaking her face and her heart pounding, trying to escape her chest. She examined the room, half expecting to see Tamlen's ghost in front of her like he just was in her dream, but there was only one other in the room, and he was alive and breathing, though staring at her with worry written on his face.

"Aerianes! Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Her hear began to slow and she gulped down some breaths of air. Her body eventually stopped trembling and the sweat started to dry against her skin. She brushed her dark hair behind her ears and looked to her worried partner. She finally smiled weakly and shook her head.

"It's nothing. Just a dream. A bad one."

Alistair nodded. He brought her a plate with food that was already cool to the touch. Aerianes thanked him and forced a few bites down. She wasn't so hungry anymore, not after seeing a decaying Tamlen like she did. But she didn't want Alistair's effort to be in vain, so she ate, every morsel feeling like a rusted blade sliding down her throat.

They ate in silence. It wasn't until Aerianes finished her meal that Alistair finally spoke as she quickly strapped her weapons back onto her body.

"By the way, don't think I was snooping or anything, but your side pack fell and I noticed a flower that fell out of it; two actually."

She looked at him, her eyes telling him he had trespassed onto sacred territory. He quickly continued before he made her even more upset with knowing he unintentionally saw her pouch contents, however non-intimate they were.

"I'm only saying because, well, on my way back to the tent, I heard a terrible howling noise. I quickly looked and saw a Mabari hound in utter pain and looking like death. I asked the hound keeper what had happened, and I guess the master was killed by darkspawn and the Mabari swallowed a great deal of the blood.

"He then told me that there was a rare flower that could cure the animal, but it was only found in the Kocari Wilds. It happened to have pure white petals and a blood red center. Sound familiar?"

She frowned. "And this concerns me how?"

Alistair chuckled. "Well, I don't know if you've ever heard of the Mabari, but they are a fierce war dog that is loyal to its master until death. He could be...well, I don't know, useful to have around if the hound keeper will allow you to have it; and if the Mabari will have you."

"I'll check it out," she replied and began to exit the tent. She had to get to the meeting, she was sure enough time had passed and would hate to keep the king waiting.

"Wait," Alistair called after her and she turned. "Who was he? The man you spoke of?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to talk of it now. Bad dreams are all they are."

He smiled at her reassuringly. "You know that they will end someday; those bad dreams."

She nodded and left without another word.

As she walked, she kept her eye out for this keeper. The sun had risen high in the sky now, and she was sure that it was at least noon. Aerianes knew time was of the essence, but the story of the dog intrigued her. If the legends of the Mabari were true, the hound would be a great asset to her. She heard of the hounds before, of course, through her keeper. They were said to be bred by magic and powerful enough to knock fully armored knights from their horses. If the legends of their loyalty and power were true, then she would be more than happy to have a hound at her side.

The loud howl made it clear where this dog was.

"Excuse me?" She finally reached the hound keeper and saw the dog that must be the one Alistair mentioned. He was whining and howling, blood drenched over him and he tremored constantly. She felt a sudden overwhelming bout of pity for this animal, and her heart went out to it. The dog reminded her of Tamlen. Both tainted, both out of help's reach.

She couldn't save Tamlen, but perhaps she could save the dog.

"Yes? Can I help you? Is your hound here?" The man asked her.

She shook her head. "No. I've heard, however, that this hound here is quite ill."

"That's an understatement," he scoffed. "Poor fellow is tainted with the darkspawn blood. If I don't get him the medicine he needs, the taint will kill him quicker than the coming horde. Poor poor boy."

"It's a flower, right?" Aerianes asked. The surprised expression on his face answered her question. She pulled the two she owned from her pack. "Here. I found theses in the Wilds. Please, let him have them. I couldn't bare to watch this poor animal suffer."

The hound keeper smiled in astonishment. He took the flowers and stared at the small elf. "Th-Thank you. This will heal him up perfect, it will! Thank you!" He thought for a moment and grinned. "You know, the Mabari are a smart breed. I'll bet that he'll know you were the one who helped him."

Aerianes raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "And? What is that to mean?"

He laughed. "Why don't I see if I can imprint him on you after the battle? Yeah! I'm sure he'll be well enough by then!"

"Will it work?" she asked. "I heard they needed to be young and that it's hard to imprint them onto someone new?"

The man shrugged. "This one is smart enough. I think when he is well, he'll be more than happy to stay with you! Wouldn't hurt to try, right?"

She nodded and left him to his business. She had to get to the temple again, and quick. She had noticed that the king's tent seemed empty and devoid of guards; meaning he was no longer there.

She sprinted to the western temple and stopped at the entrance to catch her breath. She slowly peered around the corner and saw a handful of men gathered around a table at the far end of the corridor. Aerianes took a deep breath to gather herself and began to walk towards the group of humans. Of course she noticed the elves around, but all of them were standing silently, slouched and looking a little worse for wear. Aerianes tried her best to ignore it. From her experience, there was not much she could do about the status of her people. It was best to just let it be, at least for now.

"Loghain, my decision is final. I will stand by the Grey Wardens in this assault."

"You risk too much Cailan! The darkspawn horde is too dangerous for you to be playing hero on the front line!"

"If that's the case, perhaps we should wait for the Orlesian forces to join us after all."

"I must repeat my protest that we need the Orlesian forces to defend ourselves! It's a fool's notion!"

"It's not a 'fool's notion'! Our arguments with the Orlesians are a thing of the past; and you will remember who is king!"

As Aerianes neared the gathering, she noticed the huge brute of a man who was fighting with Cailan. He had dark hair that was matted together by the many days of unhygienic conditions. He was older, his face strong with a prominent brow. He had the posture and visage of a commander, and of someone who had seen his fair share of battles. He was angry at the king, that much was certain, but Aerianes couldn't help to wonder what his issue was? Cailan was king, after all.

She crept passed a mage and a priestess who were watching the fight and stood next to Duncan. He looked down at her and smiled; she smiled back.

The man named Loghain put his head in his hands and groaned. "How fortunate Maric did not live to see his son ready to hand over Ferelden to those who enslaved us for over a century!"

Cailan grinned smugly and, knowing he had won the argument, turned to Duncan. "Then our forces will have to suffice. Duncan, are you men ready for battle?"

Duncan nodded. "They are, your majesty."

The king's gaze drifted over to where Aerianes stood. His smile widened even more and he greeted her. "And this is the recruit I met the other day on the road? I understand that congratulations are in order!"

Aerianes wasn't sure what it was about this man, but no matter how clueless or ignorant he could get, that warm smile made her appreciate him. His attitude made her own slightly lighter - even if it was only a false assurance of better times ahead. She smiled, despite herself and bowed slightly. "Thank you, your majesty."

He nodded, his face becoming more serious. "Every Grey Warden is needed now. You should be honored to join their ranks."

"Your fascination with glory and legends will be your undoing, Cailan!" Loghain said, his temper flaring again. "We must attend to reality!"

Cailan rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, speak your strategy. The Grey Wardens and I draw the darkspawn into charging our lines and then?"

Loghain motioned to the map that was spread across the wooden table. The two men bent over it and Duncan as well. Aerianes followed suit, although she really didn't think it necessary to understand the strategy. After all was said and done she needed to only do as instructed.

"You will alert the tower to light the beacon, signaling my men to charge from cover," Loghain replied, his voice becoming less angry and more to the point.

Cailan nodded, running his hand over their plans. "To flank the darkspawn, yes, I remember. This is the tower of Ishal, yes?" He turned to Loghain. "Who shall light this beacon?"

"I have a few men stationed there," he answered, quite pleased that the king was once again brought down to earth by the severity of the situation. "It is not a dangerous task, but it is vital."

"Then we should send our best." Cailan looked up to Duncan and continued, "Send Alistair and the new Warden to make sure it's done."

Aerianes was stunned, she felt as though she had been slapped across the face. She frowned at the king. "You mean I won't be fighting in the battle?"

"We need the beacon," Duncan replied for Cailan. "Without it, Loghain's men won't know when to charge."

Aerianes noticed the look in his eyes. It was a look that was passed among the elves if they hunted in a group. The darkness in the eye told the others to shut their mouths and wait or listen. Aerianes knew it well and also knew to not make Duncan upset with her. She had to keep reminding herself that human, or no human, Duncan was her superior, as was the king.

"You see?" Cailan said, that smile remaining on his face. "Glory for everyone!"

Loghain shook his head, seeming to feel quite defeated. "You rely in these Grey Wardens too much. Is that truly wise?"

Cailan laughed, his blond hair bouncing while the sound vibrated through the grand hall. Aerianes could tell that the king took no battle plan seriously, and that this seemed to be a big game to him. She could never quite understand why the humans picked their rulers the way that they did. In the elven world, as far as she could remember, the keeper was chosen by experience, cunning and savvy in the world. They were expected to keep the clan safe from harm; and, if harm were to show itself, protect the clan and always prepare for the worst. This man seemed to think that he was playing a game that he was inevitably going to win. It worried her and made the hair on her arm stand straight.

"Enough of your conspiracy theories Loghain!" he finally managed to say between fits of laughter. "Grey Wardens battle the Blight, no matter where they are from!"

Obviously he thought Loghain's comments were directed to the only elf in the Wardens. Her face darkened.

"Your majesty," Duncan quickly interjected. "You should consider the possibility of the archdemon appearing."

_'__Good job Duncan. Tell him of the real threat!'_

Loghain frowned. "There have been no signs of any dragons in the Wilds!"

Cailan nodded in agreement. "Besides, isn't that what your men are hear for, Duncan?"

_'Fool...'_

Duncan held his tongue, clearly feeling defeated. "I...yes, your majesty."

"Your majesty, the tower and the beacon are unnecessary! The Circle of Magi-"

"We will not trust any tasks to your spells, mage! Save them for the darkspawn!"

Aerianes completely forgot that the priestess and the mage were even there. The two had a common hatred for each other, but Aerianes was never quite sure why. The rules of the human world were still so foreign to her, but she supposed she would have enough time to get to know them. However, it was clear that the Chantry and the Circle were not close friends, and the daggers that these two elders stared at each other with proved it.

"Enough!" Loghain yelled, infuriated by the lack of focus. All he wanted was to get this battle over with, it seemed. He rolled the maps and picked up one of his scabbards. "This plan will suffice. The Grey Wardens will light the beacon."

"Thank you, Loghain." Cailan sighed and turned to the two Wardens, his eyes glazed over with the vision of the Blight being destroyed at his hands. The afternoon sun shone through the decaying rafters of the hall and shone down on the king. Had he not been ranting about glory, the elf guessed he might look like some sort of god with his armor and hair reflecting the light so. He grinned broadly."I cannot wait for that glorious moment! The Grey Wardens battle beside the King of Ferelden to stem the tide of evil!"

As Loghain made his way back to his own tent with his maps in his grasp, he stopped for a moment and laughed to himself. Cailan really was just a boy in the middle of playtime. But playtime was over, and it was time for the grown ups to take over and decide what was best for the country. He couldn't help the grin that spread across his face like a silent attack.

"Yes Cailan," he mumbled under his breath. "A glorious moment for us all..."


	11. Chapter 11

**Part One  
Chapter Eleven  
Virtuous Mission**

* * *

"You heard the plan. You and Alistair will go to the tower of Ishal and ensure the beacon is lit."

Duncan stood before them back at the Grey Wardens' tent, the fire behind him raging. The dusk had started to set in and with it, the post summer chill. As they had headed back to camp, Aerianes had told Duncan that Alistair was not going to be pleased. He was much like her, longing to do bigger and better things; and frankly, stowing away in a tower to light a camp fire didn't seem like a great contribution to the battle. It had made her feel like the runt in a group of older kids who were going to play in the deep rivers of the forests, but she couldn't come because she was too small. However, she was not going to question Duncan and Cailan's plan; so she kept her own comments to herself.

When Alistair heard the news, he looked as though he had been betrayed by a best friend. He frowned and protested. "What? I won't be in the battle?"

Duncan nodded, staying oblivious to Alistair's potential objections. "This is by the king's personal request, Alistair," The young man rolled his eyes and Duncan frowned. "If the beacon is not lit, Teryn Loghain's men won't know when to charge."

"So he needs _two _Grey Wardens standing up there holding a torch. Just in case, right?" Alistair asked, that ever familiar touch of sarcasm in his voice.

Aerianes couldn't help but approve of her partner's reaction. "I agree," she said. "We should be in the battle!"

"That is not your choice!" Duncan replied, his frustration building in his voice. "If King Cailan wishes Grey Wardens to ensure the beacon is lit, then Grey Wardens will be there. We must do whatever it takes to defeat the darkspawn." He narrowed his gaze on the two young Wardens, as if to bring the conversation to a halt. "Exciting or not."

"I get it, I get it," Alistair mumbled in response. "But just so you know, if the king ever asks me to put on a dress and dane the Remigold, I'm drawing the line." He mimicked Duncan's gaze right back at their superior, much to Aerianes' surprise. "Darkspawn, or _not_."

The young woman couldn't help herself. She grinned and joined in on the joke. "I don't know. I think that could be a great distraction!"

He grinned at her. "Me shimmying down the darkspawn line? Sure, we could kill them while they all roll around laughing!"

Duncan made a loud and exasperated sigh, telling Aerianes and Alistair that the time for joking was now officially over. They stopped their laughing and stood at attention in front of the Warden. He shook his head, trying to hide the small grin that was fighting its way onto his face.

"The tower is on the other side of the gorge from the king's camp," he looked at Aerianes. "The way we came when we arrived. You'll need to cross the gorge and head through the gate and up the tower entrance. Form the top, you'll overlook the entire valley."

Aerianes nodded in response. "When do we light the beacon?"

"We will signal you when the time is right. Alistair will know what to look for."

Alistair winked at her and she smiled. She felt safe, so long as either of the two men were with her. They were formidable fighters, and as far as the humans go, not that bad to be around company wise. This tower beacon seemed like an easy enough task; but she had to admit that she would be nervous if she were to go it alone. Perhaps it was because the Dalish always hunted in pairs, or because the clans were close knit families; either way, she was thankful that the king asked two of them to go.

"Then let's go," she finally said, a steel note of determination in her voice.

"I will be joining the others. From here, you two are on your own. Remember, you are both Grey Wardens. I expect you to be worthy of that title." Duncan gathered his weapons as he spoke, and Aerianes could see the hint of fatigue in his voice. She wasn't too sure how old Duncan could really be; but she could tell that his days as a warrior were soon to be finished. However, he held his own with the pride of a soldier and she had a deep admiration of him for it.

"Duncan," Alistair hesitated and Aerianes was sure he was going to continue his complaint of their role in the battle. She raised her eyebrows, hoping he would her reaction to shut him up, but he was fixated on Duncan, and she thought she saw a longing or sign of fear in his eyes. He cleared his throat, "May the Maker watch over you."

Duncan's visage softened momentarily. "May He watch over us all."

He began to walk away and Aerianes felt her intuition kick in. She wasn't sure what it was, but she felt a wire tighten around her gut. She looked at Alistair and thought that he must be feeling the same way from the look of worry on his face. She nudged him slightly and it broke his trance.

"Come on," she said. "Maybe we should get stocked up before we go. That quartermaster doesn't seem the type to wait around for the battle to be over."

He nodded. "Good point. Let's go."

* * *

The sun was setting over the mountains again, setting the sky aflame with its light. Rain pelted down from the sky and the chill of the air hung over the masses of soldiers in the gorge, however none felt its grip. They were focused on the task ahead of them, the darkspawn that were to arrive at any moment. They all remained stationary as the priestesses walked in between their flanks, waving about their pots of incense and fragrant myrrh about the soldiers, chanting all the while for the Maker to keep them safe. Some of the soldiers were scared, that much was clear. However, they stayed their ranks and waited. Hounds were heard barking at the oncoming horde. They were anxious. The smell of wet dog permeating the air as they would lunge forward and retreat back to their masters.

Behind the vast mass of warriors, King Cailan strode onto the soon-to-be battlefield and Duncan followed behind, his stride a little more humbled. He was slightly nervous about the battle. Although he held Loghain in the highest regard, there was something not right with how the meeting went. He knew his role was to obey the king, and Cailan wished to follow Loghain's strategy; so long as he rode with the Wardens. All Duncan could do was pray that all would work as it was planned.

He had to say something, something to make his gut feel right again. This wasn't just pre-battle jitters; those had ended years ago when he was a young man. Now he was old, battle-worn and the darkspawn and the thought of death just didn't bother him as much anymore. But these feelings...they were of something else; something awry.

"The plan will work, your majesty," he finally said as they walked to the front lines.

"Of course it will," Cailan replied, his voice haughty with absolution. "The Blight ends here!"

They stared over the miles of land, the trees towering in the distance. The rain continued its attack, but none felt it's cold grasp. Every last man and woman was fixated on what would soon rise over the hills ahead of them. It was not the rain and the twilight air that made their blood run cold; it was the thought of death at the hands of the darkspawn. Or worse, the archdemon.

It was shortly thereafter that they began to appear. Hundreds, thousands of the filthy creatures. They advanced slowly, as if relishing every moment of anticipation, as if they could smell the fear their opponents radiated. Amongst them were darkspawn of so many different types. Duncan was unable to recall all of their 'names', but he knew that there were Hurlock Emissaries amongst their horde, and they were not a force to be reckoned with.

The horde was ready. They were assembled as an army, with commanders to lead them. It was the work of an archdemon. As they stood there, intimidating the humans, the smell of their evil was radiated throughout the gorge. They howled and bared their sharp teeth, screeching and lunging forwards. It was then that one of their commanders stepped forward, armored and equipped with great swords that most humans would never hope to lift. It marked their opponents, as if calling Death himself to appear and take them now.

Out of the corner of his eye, Duncan saw a soldier falter, his armor clattering from his body shaking violently. He was terrified. He didn't want to die. Duncan didn't blame him. Who ever did? Life was a precious gift that was worth fighting for; and now these soldiers were about to give up their own lives so others may live on. It was the ultimate sacrifice. He watched the soldier take a step back and couldn't help but think of Aerianes; how she had looked at him after he had finished Jory's life. He felt a pang of guilt that he was not able to explain to her the severity of the Joining, and why it was so important to keep its ritual secret; but he hoped that perhaps she would understand one day.

Like most of the men and women here, he was not confident that he would be leaving the battlefield this time.

It was then that the thunder clapped, the lighting struck out in the night sky, and the clouds rolled in. At that moment, the commander led the darkspawn troops onward, and they followed willingly, with an animalistic need for battle. They ran, jumped easily over obstacles, teeth bared and blades ready.

Duncan could hardly believe it when he saw the Ogres approaching along with the horde.

Cailan looked about at his men, thankful for so many who would fight for their country. He watched the horde, waiting for the perfect time to strike. They were so close now...

He turned, his attention on the flanks behind him. "Archers!" he called.

His army obeyed. With arrows lit and bows at the ready, the hundreds of archers raised their weapons to the sky and awaited their commanders signal. He raised his arm, and when the darkspawn drew close enough, he signaled his troops to let their arrows fly.

A great ball of flame seemed to rise from the very ground the humans stood on. The arrows flew upwards, gaining altitude and power. They slowed and began their deadly descent to the ground. Hundreds of arrows set aflame struck the darkspawn, killing some, pinning others. The smell of burning, rotting flesh filled the air, enough to make one lose their lunch had they not been concentrating so intently on the battle. However, it didn't seem to make a difference to the horde. They advanced even faster.

Cailan did not falter. He continued as planned.

"Hounds!"

The Mabari were sent towards the oncoming assault, teeth bared, ready to strike. They jumped onto the horde and attacked. Darkspawn were mauled, ripped apart, some were pulled in different directions by multiple Mabari before they turned their attention to the next monster. However, it wasn't too long before the darkspawn blades pierced every last hound, their high pitched whines ringing out as they died.

Cailan winced. The first casualties, and they died without faltering in their attack. Without another second to lose, he withdrew his sword and cried out, "For Ferelden!"

The thousands of soldiers rushed forward, their battle cries driving them forward, pushing their fear down as they ran into battle.

The darkspawn flung their own arrows, their own weapons. They launched hidden catapults full of fire into the air, aiming for the tower and its own large weapons.

It was there, on that plain, that a bloodbath would ensue.

* * *

Aerianes wasn't able to see the whole battle. She heard the voices, the cries from both sides as the armies charged. She could smell the blood in the air and feel the presence of the darkspawn. It was a feeling that she couldn't associate with. It was like having another spirit invade your body, seeping through your veins like a poison. It was a troubling feeling, but one that she would grow accustomed to whether she liked it or not.

It was when she saw the fireballs in the air, slamming into the massive stone bridge that she finally realized they had to move. The darkspawn seemed to have their own weapons to take out the ranged fighters and the catapults that were upon the structure. She watched as two of the balls collided with the bridge, shaking the very foundation of the fortress. Aerianes turned to Alistair, fear in her eyes now, as the soldiers pushed past her, almost knocking her off of her feet.

Alistair grabbed her arm and pulled her along the bridge, taking her out of her dazed trance. "Come on!" he yelled as they sprinted across the burning platform. "We need to reach the Tower of Ishal!"

"Wait! Alistair!"

They were suddenly both knocked off of their feet as a surge of heat scalded their flesh. Another fireball had landed on the bridge, rocking the thing and sending most of the archers flying off to the land hundreds of yards below. Alistair pushed himself up wearily and shook his head. He got to his feet as quick as he could and looked around, waiting for his head to stop buzzing and the nauseating feeling of vomiting to pass.

It was when he didn't see Aerianes anywhere that the feeling disappeared altogether, and sheer panic set in.

"Aerianes!" he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. He looked around frantically amongst the burning rubble and felt his heart jump into his throat when he heard no reply. "AERIANES!" Practically screaming this time, he ran to the destroyed edge of the bridge.

"ALISTAIR!"

He saw her then, struggling to raise herself up from the crumbling stone. Alistair tried to reach for her, stretching his hand out as far as he could, but it was to no avail. No matter how far either of them strained, she was inaccessible. The bridge was too unstable and she was too far down for him to reach.

"Alistair," she cried, trying to pull herself up. "Help! I'm slipping!"

"Hold on!" he yelled down to her. He looked about to find something, anything to help him reach her. There were no branches close enough to hack off and give to her, no guards left to help, well, none left alive...

Then he saw a slain archer lying on the ground, his body beginning to catch fire. Although the sight was horrid, that was not what caught Alistair's attention. It was the bow and arrow that lay next to him.

Quickly he sprinted to the corpse and grabbed the weapon before it became victim to the flames that licked the soldier's body. He found some rope that had torn away from one of the catapults and quickly fastened it to the arrow. He tied the other end around a stone that jutted out from the bridge deck and triple knotted it. There was no way of telling that it was going to hold, but he could hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.

"Alistair! I can't hold on anymore!"

"Hold on! Please! Aerianes, I'm coming!"

"ALISTAIR!"

He finished the knot, and, running to the spot where the elf was holding on with only her fingertips, he drew the arrow back.

"I don't know where to aim! It won't stick in the stone!"

"Just shoot it!"

"You can't catch it!"

"GODS DAMN YOU!"

At that precise moment, her grip failed, and she began to fall, her scream ringing in the Warden's ears. Time seemed to slow as he saw the sheer terror in her eyes. Her arm went flying back as she fell away from him.

"AERIANES!"

Without thinking, Alistair shot the arrow downwards to where she lost her grip. The rope began to slide off of the bridge and Alistair waited, the seconds ticked by like centuries as he shook with fear. He couldn't lose her, not now; not when so much was riding on them. His mind began to race in his panic and he felt himself losing control.

Suddenly, the rope tightened and Alistair sighed out loud in relief. He went to the edge where he was sure he had witnessed the death of his companion and cried out when he saw what was below.

Aerianes had caught the rope. The trajectory was enough, just enough to make it to her in time. She dangled below the bridge, holding on with only one hand, the other holding a blade as she batted away any stray arrows that flew her way. She dared a glance upward and saw the Warden appear above her. She grinned wide enough for him to see and he laughed despite himself. She was then hoisted onto the deck again, Alistair grabbing her as she stumbled forward.

"Are you okay?" he asked, desperate for her to say something. She dropped her shield and hugged him close, Alistair could swear he felt her heartbeat even between their armor.

She looked up at him, her big eyes full of gratefulness. "You...You saved me..."

He grinned. "I'm not about to let you have all the fun of fighting down there without me! Are you alright to keep going?"

"Are you kidding? We have a job to do!" she cried, letting go of him and picking up her weapon. She stood up on her own and sheathed the dagger. "Let's get a move on!"

He nodded and they ran across the rest of the bridge, mindful now of any onslaught of flying fire that might make an appearance. Luckily, the darkspawn seemed to either have run out of ammunition, or were no longer interested in the bridge any longer. They made it across safely and ran through the trail to get to the tower. It was going to be simple enough from here on in, the tower would be empty and getting to the beacon would take no time at all. All they had to do was wait up in the tower, safe and sound, until Loghain gave the signal. After that, their job was complete - easy as pie - but Alistair had no intention of sitting around once the beacon was lit. Whether the elf came with him or not, he was going down to fight beside Duncan. It was where he should be - where he was supposed to be. No king was going to take his right away from him.

The tower was within their reach and Alistair glanced over at his partner. He was pleased and a little surprised by her willingness to go into battle for reasons he was sure she didn't quite grasp. It was more admirable that this elf would fight with humans, of all things. The history between the humans and elves was a shaken one, to say the least, and she would be the last to offer aid to a battle involving a race which the elves didn't take kindly too. However, here she was, fighting the Blight to save the land. Perhaps she knew of the severity of the situation? Did she know the darkspawn would stop at nothing to destroy everything on the earth; her people included? He wasn't sure what her motives were, but he was thankful for her drive to succeed in any task given to her.

Ahead of them was the entrance to the tower. Alistair sighed as they got closer. Soon this mundane task would be over and he could join Duncan on the battlefield. He felt the adrenaline pump through his veins at the thought of being so close to death. It scared him and excited him all at once. He supposed it was a good mixture to respect death and at the same time be ready to embrace it. He knew that since becoming a Grey Warden, he no longer had a choice to completely fear life's end; for them it came so much sooner...

Movement out of the tower caught the Wardens' eye and the two slowed down as they neared the entrance. A soldier and a mage came rushing out of the tower, breathless and covered in blood. Alistair and Aerianes looked at each other and back to the two men. The soldier looked frantic as he ran up to them.

"You! You're Grey Wardens aren't you?" he asked, wide eyed and terror in his voice. "The tower...it's been taken!"

Alistair frowned. "What are you talking about man? Taken how?"

"The darkspawn came up through the tower chambers!" the soldier exclaimed. "They're everywhere! Most of our men are dead or dying!"

Alistair looked down at the elf. "The we have to get to the beacon and light it ourselves."

She nodded, fierce determination in her eyes. They were actually going to have a taste of battle after all! She was excited and could see that Alistair was too, his blue eyes were blazing with a warrior's delight. Aerianes was glad for it.

The soldier nodded to them and motioned to the mage. "Myself and my companion will accompany you to the top. We must go quickly before more darkspawn get through!"

Aerianes and Alistair prepared their weapons and followed the two in.


	12. Chapter 12

I just quickly want to make a shout out to the reviewers! Thank you so much for your insight and keep 'em coming! Julie5, thanks so much! It's great to hear the praise. Speakfire: I'm doing my best not to maker Aerianes too good, thanks for that - sometimes I need the reality check! I hope I will not let you down. This is gonna be a big project, and I can only hope that you'll all keep coming back for more! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

**Part One  
Chapter Twelve  
A Towering Betrayal**

**

* * *

**

To say that the darkspawn hindered their travels to the top of the tower would be a gross understatement. Amidst the blood and carnage the foul creatures left behind, Aerianes and her party was now required to clear out the infestation and light the beacon. The only problem was their restricted time. Aerianes was not sure how much time they had to get to the top of Ishal and Alistair had not let her in on the information. She was on edge, trying to slash her way through the hordes of darkspawn quickly, but still keep her and her party alive at the same time.

_'It just can't be easy can it?' _she asked herself.

From the moment they had entered the tower, it was a complete bloodbath. Corpses of fallen soldiers and mages were strewn about the ground, the darkspawn stripping them of their clothing and armor. The elf cringed to think of why they were undressing the unfortunate souls and tried to push the thought of them feasting on the human flesh out of her mind. She had bigger issues to deal with now, and as a Grey Warden, she would have to be ready for battle at any given time – and deal with the horror afterwards on her own.

"Come on!" Alistair called as he headed forward into the darkspawn ranks. "We need to get to the top of the tower. Let's move!"

Aerianes nodded and withdrew her bow. She was realizing that Alistair seemed the type to simply plow into battle without much thought or regard for his own safety. While that was an endearing trait sometimes, it could easily get you killed if no one is watching your back. Now that they were partners in battle, it was going to be her duty to protect him, as he was to protect her. She quickly scanned her surroundings and noticed a crumbled staircase that held no darkspawn. She raced up the staircase, keeping low to the ground and out of sight and perched atop the stone. With her bow drawn, she began to pick off the creatures one by one for the soldier and Alistair. It seemed like a great system as the mage also kept back, healing the soldiers as they bombarded the darkspawn ranks.

The first two levels of the tower were easy enough. The foul monsters were few in number and not heavily armed, making them simple for the four warriors to take down. Save for a few instances where their heads could have rolled, clearing out the baddies seemed simple enough.

_'But why are they here?'_ Aerianes wondered to herself. _'Are they trying to thwart our mission to light the beacon? I thought darkspawn were idiots when it came to battle and strategy. How could they assemble like this?'_

The questions would have to wait. As they made their way up the old stairs, sweat beading on their foreheads, Aerianes glance over at her partner and couldn't help but be reminded of Tamlen. Both had the sense of humor and the need of battle. The pain she felt still lingered, but with this human close to her, she felt as though she had found another clan-mate; someone to watch over and fight alongside. The thought eased her battle anxiety slightly and helped her to continue.

As they opened the door to the next level, Alistair stopped the group momentarily to gain some of their stamina again.

"What are darkspawn doing in this tower?" he asked no one in particular. "There wasn't supposed to be any resistance here!"

The elf fell to the ground to catch her breath as Alistair was asking his unanswerable question. She looked up at him and wiped the sweat running down her face, grinning. "Well, we could always tell them that they aren't supposed to be here."

Alistair gave her a grin despite himself. He knew this was not the time to be joking, yet he could never help himself. "Right," he replied. "Because clearly this is all just some sort of misunderstanding."

"Did you see the size of that hole?" the mage asked, exasperated as her held steady to the stone wall for support, sweat trickling down his bald head. "What could possibly be powerful enough to break through the very foundations of the tower? The darkspawn do not have access to such machinery!"

The soldier who accompanied them nodded and turning to Alistair he said, "We need to stop this foolish mission! The tower is taken! The four of us alone can be of no use!" His face was red from the exertion and anger, but Aerianes also saw the fear in his eyes. This fool did not want to die in battle, he was afraid of the death that might await him at the end of this journey.

Aerianes couldn't really blame him. If given the choice, she would rather live as well. Life is such a short gift given that it must be cherished and experience fully. However, in times of battle and war, she was always taught that the lives of others will always outweigh yours; and one must always do one's duty above all else no matter the cost.

"We can't go back," Alistair told the soldier, his face stern. "We have a job to do here and it could determine the entire outcome of this battle! Ferelden needs us ser knight!"

The soldier shook his head frantically. He took off his helmet and shoved it into Alistair's hands. "Then you go on ahead. I'm deserting! And I doubt any of you will be able to tell the tale by the time the darkspawn are done with you!"

Aerianes slowly rose to her feet and tapped her partner on the shoulder. "Alistair!"

"Not now! We need to subdue this one," he motioned to the soldier who was being denied access to the doorway by the aged mage. The man had place a spell on the door, keeping the lock sealed and the wood impenetrable. The soldier screamed in frustration as he clawed at the wood, begging to live and begging to get out. Alistair withdrew his blade, meaning to use the hilt to silence the man; but his hand was stilled the moment he sensed it and Aerianes shrieked.

"GET DOWN! NOW YOU FOOLS!"

They hit the floor as an arrow came speeding past them. Aerianes groaned as the air was knocked out of her lungs and she quickly rolled to some of the smoking wreckage that occupied the round room. The mage had also ducked down behind a smoldering mound of wood and weapons and eyed her. He was ready for her orders. The elf nodded and turned to see Alistair and the knight and begin the onslaught again when she felt her breath catch in her already emptied lungs.

Alistair was on the floor, out cold; and blood was dripping onto him from above.

Time slowed to a halt as Aerianes gazed at the display before her. She was able to save three of them in time, luckily enough. Although Alistair was not awake, she knew just by looking at his steady breathing that he was alive. However the source of the blood was what put the ice in her veins. The soldier's feet dangled just above the floor, kicking faintly as his body spasmed. He had made the awful mistake of taking off his helmet in the middle of battle and now paid the price with a darkspawn arrow embedded into his brain.

Blood spurt form the arrows entry hole as the body made its last macabre dance against the door he had thought would be his salvation. Aerianes cringed, but had no time or pity to mourn a deserter. She shook herself free of her trance and time resumed its normal pace once again. She could sense the darkspawn approaching quickly. Quickly she hauled Alistair's heavy body to her location and ensured he was protected. She then nodded at the mage and they advanced on the flank of monsters.

Aerianes was first, letting her arrows fly quickly and with power. The darkspawn had hidden themselves in two rooms adjacent to each other it seemed, and had heard the commotion that was being made outside. Immediately they had attack, archers beginning their assaults as the soldiers marched towards them. Aerianes guessed that she and Alistair were to wrapped up in the soldier's raving to notice, or else this ambush might never had happened.

She kept her concentration and slowly the archers fell one by one. The Mage began his attack on the soldiers and was manipulating the fire already in the room to ignite the creatures in his range. They fell and writhed in agony until the smell of charred and rotting flesh filled the air. It mad the elf's stomach lurch. However, there were still at least 10 soldiers slowly advancing upon them, and by the looks of it, the elder mage's age had caught up with him. He was slumping over the crates and panting hard.

Aerianes felt behind her in her quiver and the sick realization hit her like a pile of stones; she had only 5 arrows left. Her heart stopped beating and cold sweat trickled down her back. She shot a glance at Alistair and saw that he would not be waking up anytime soon without outside help from potions and magic. They were screwed.

"There's too many!" she shouted to the man.

"Wait!" he called back, slowly gaining his feet. He brought his hands together and began to concentrate. Fire was forming in his palms, leaving his skin unharmed. Aerianes could see how drained he was becoming and wanted to help him, but there was nothing she could do. She placed another arrow in her bow and pulled it tight.

"Hold on!" the mage called out again, and Aerianes held, waiting for something – anything- to happen. The darkspawn were getting closer, starting to run now as they realized the severity of the three warrior's situation. She could see their faces clearly now, the sewn armor that was latched into their very flesh. Her eyes flinched when she watched the puss and black blood ooze from their wounds, yet they did not falter.

"They're getting closer!" she cried.

"One more second…"

"Whatever you're doing, DO IT FAST!"

Suddenly, as if on cue to her demand, her arrow was alight, blazing brightly from the fire that surrounded it.

"NOW!" the mage yelled out, and Aerianes obliged, sending the arrow into her enemies.

Every shot would count now, she knew that. She had counted 11 darkspawn now, and with enough arrows to only dent their flank, she would have to make each shot a killing blow. Her adrenaline began to pump, heightening her senses and clearing her vision. She let her fire arrows go with such a power that they pierced right through 5 of the soldiers. However, the other 6 didn't even falter. They continued, and now the elf could smell the evil they excreted.

"What now?" the mage yelled out desperately. Aerianes saw the desperate plea in his eyes and she drew her daggers.

"Can you heal?"

"Yes!"

"Are you strong enough to continue?"

"If I must be!"

That was all the confirmation she needed. If she died, at least she would die with the honor of defending her homeland. She jumped over the barricade and advanced on the darkspawn who eagerly awaited her.

She mapped out her possible route and kept low to the ground, gaining speed. The first darkspawn took a swipe at her, and she leapt into the air, using its shoulders as an anchor point to flip around. With one hand around its slimy head, she used her dagger to open its jugular. The thing fell as blood sprayed the floor.

Next she dropped to the ground just as a giant halberd swept sideways, intending to chop her in half. It swung over her head as her legs did the splits to lower her enough. She then flipped again and stuck her blade into the creature's chest, twisting to catch the major arteries of the heart. As it began to die, another creature came after the agile elf. She pulled the huge deadweight on her dagger around to knock the soldier off balance and then drover her second blade into its throat, the gurgling stopping its roar of pain. Black spittle hit her face and she pulled with all of her might to get the blades out of the foul creatures.

"Look out!"

Aerianes rolled aside in time to miss the axe that was aimed for her back. The darkspawn creature sent his blade deep into its comrade's torso and the black blood gushed freely, pooling on the floor.

The elf realized the situation. She had no weapon to fight with and there were still 3 more beasts to deal with. She was frantic, searching about for a weapon as the 3 enemies surrounded her. She was out of options and time. The creatures closed in on her, giants compared to her small stature. The fear of death was catching up to her. Her heart beat faster than she could ever remember it beating, as if it were going to leap out of her chest. She let out a cry as a sword was brought down on her.

Her words were cut short as her jugular was slit. She had no words for the pain she felt as the precious cartilage was severed and the blood flowed. Aerianes put her hand up to her throat and felt the sickening sticky liquid that pumped out of her. She looked at her hand, dazed and confused by the darkness of her blood. She had never noticed how even human blood can be so fresh that it resembled the blood of the darkspawn. She turned a confused gaze upwards and saw that the beasts paid her no mind as she lay dying. They were advancing on the mage and on Alistair.

_'Alistair…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you…I couldn't save anyone…'_

She felt her thoughts drift to Tamlen and his life. How they played as children and grew up together. They loved each other…and she couldn't even save a man she loved. Now her friend was going to die…

_'Nothing….Nothing I can do…'_

Her throat began to tingle and cool, and she thought it was from her heart stopping; her body no longer generating heat as the result. At least she wouldn't have to watch Alistair be mutilated at their hands. With any luck he wouldn't feel anything with the state he was in. With any luck, he would die quickly and as painlessly as possible.

Suddenly, she began to feel stronger more alive. The coolness in her throat intensified and she felt an intense pain where her wound was. It felt like tiny daggers were piercing her skin and muscles, cinching them together tightly. She raised a hand to her throat and winced as she felt the blood…

_'Wait…'_

Something was odd. The blood was not coming from any source. She felt her neck and felt only a small line where the slash had tried to take her life. The blood stopped flowing and her strength returned just as quickly as it had left. Aerianes focused and saw the darkspawn with their backs turned. She had no time to question the miracle and she quickly got up and ran forwards, taking the heavy halberd one of her victims dropped and heaving it close to her body. She had no idea where this bought of strength came from, but she didn't intend to waste it.

Aerianes ran for all she was worth and climbed up the raised debris of fallen wood and stone, gaining speed and height as she went. Once she was almost align with the darkspawn below her she jumped, halberd raised and she came down on her enemies. Her landing incapacitated one of the creatures and the other two turned, confused by her sudden revival. The elf quickly brought the sharp blade down on one darkspawn's head, cracking the skull and nearly splitting it in half. She quickly pulled the sword out of its hand and drove it into the chest of the other monster, screaming from the exertion her body was suffering from.

Once the monster fell, Aerianes fell to the ground, panting and crying. She had been dying. She had felt the cold fingers of death wrapping themselves around her throat. How could she possibly be alive still? She stared at the carnage around her, lost in her thoughts and her own world. She was always told to never fear death; only respect it and embrace when your time has come – but she couldn't. Death frightened her, and now she was going to have to face it everyday.

"Aerianes?" a soft voice was calling her back from her trance. She felt as though she was floating in her own personal purgatory. The colors around her blended together and the noises seemed to warble. Nothing seemed real. The voice called to her again and she now saw a face to match with it.

"Tamlen?"

"Tamlen? Who's that?" he asked. "It's me, Alistair."

Aerianes shook her head and focused. Her feelings and thoughts returned to reality and she saw the blue eyes of her partner. He had a concerned look on his face as he held her shoulders at arms length, trying to bring her out of her near comatose state.

"What…what happened?" she asked. "You? Are you okay?"

He grinned. "Thanks to that mage I'll be fine. Sorry, the idiot who tied to leave got me good in the skull before…"

He stopped talking, his words cut off by observing their surroundings. He took in the carnage that was strewn about the room, leaving his mouth agape.

"D-Did you…do all this?"

She shook her head. "He and I did. But…something happened…Some sort of miracle maybe?"

The elder man chuckled behind her and approached them, helping the elf to her feet. "Now now, not a miracle per say; however healing magic has been known to revive those struggling from the clutches of death."

"Healing magic…" Aerianes whispered. It was then that Alistair nudged her and handed her the daggers that were embedded into two corpses earlier. She took them, thankfully, and wiped the blood from the blades. "We have to hurry," she said, sheathing her blades and nodding to the two men.

"Then let's get a move on. That beacon is not going to light itself," Alistair replied, and the remaining three warriors ran towards the stairs and to the last room where the beacon would be waiting.

* * *

Aerianes had never seen an ogre before. She had read about them and listened to the lore from the clan elders; heard that they were huge, ghastly creatures who couldn't be reasoned with. She was told they were powerful and only cared for finding more meat to feast on and destroying anything in its path.

She didn't know they had actually sided with the darkspawn horde.

But she knew now.

The beast rose slowly as it heard the arrival of its next meal. It towered over Aerianes and her party, and it didn't seem threatened by their tiny weapons. It was finishing a large chunk of meat from a human's corpse as it stared at them, almost as if it took no interest in them.

Then they withdrew their weapons and it roared, shaking the very tower as it did. Alistair cried out for them to charge and they did. Aerianes was not going to falter this time. She focused her thoughts and charged the beast behind Alistair. The mage stayed behind to attack from afar and to heal the two warriors as they assaulted the ogre.

Alistair was first to strike, raising his sword and bringing it down hard on the ogre's shin. It howled in pain and tried to swat the soldier away, but Alistair was able to roll out of reach in time. He gained his feet again and lunged forward, eyes and mind focused on the enemy ahead.

Aerianes kept her wits about her and targeted the large monster. She had no arrows left to range her attacks, so she had to rely on her quick reflexes to get her through; she doubted she had her adrenaline pumped strength from before anymore. She could see the icy shards that pelted the ogre from the mage behind them and was grateful for the distraction. As the ogre tried to bat her out of his way, she leapt over the hand and continued her sprint towards him. She quickly slid between the beast's legs, keeping her target in her peripherals.

Meanwhile, Alistair had his hands full with trying to slash at the ogre from the ground. It was so high up and it didn't falter even from the magic that attacked it. It would be near impossible to deal a killing blow with it thrashing about. He had just raised his shield to deflect another swipe of the ogre's hand when he noticed the flash in the corner of his eye. The mage had dealt a lightning spell that stunned the monstrosity momentarily. He lowered his shield and ran towards his target.

The elf saw the advantage point. The ogre was so busy trying to swat at Alistair that it didn't even notice the mage dealing out the spells that stunned it. Aerianes took the opportunity and raised her daggers in the air. With one quick motion, she ran the blades deep into the monsters first ankle. It made a sickening crack as the tendons snapped and blood spurted from the incision. Aerianes heard the beast howl in pain as it fell to one knee. She didn't waste the opportunity and did quick work of the other Achilles' tendon and the ogre fell to the ground, blood pouring from the wounds.

"Alistair!" Aerianes called out, looking over at her partner, "NOW! Kill it now!"

Alistair nodded. "Light the beacon!" he yelled back and then lunged at the ogre. He leapt onto its shoulder and positioned himself over the ogre's neck. With one swift motion, Alistair raised his blade and - with two hands – drove the steel into the monster's flesh. He heard the snapping and cracking of bones and muscle and his own stomach lurched slightly, but he held tight to his sword as the ogre slowly stopped his movements and howling.

Aerianes was mesmerized, if only for a moment. She watched him slay the beast and felt a sudden rush of pride for her partner. It was when he turned to yell at her again that she snapped out of it and lit the beacon with a torch. The large collection of tinder, wood and dry grass was ablaze in seconds, burning into the night sky. The elf was certain that Teryn Loghain would see it and send his troops in. She ran to Alistair and dropped to the ground beside him.

"Are you okay?" she asked, catching her breath after their long journey.

He was leaning against the gigantic corpse and panting just as hard. He glanced at her and nodded. "We did it."

"What's tha-!"

The two looked up in time to see the mage who had journeyed with them with his head now on the floor.

Aerianes didn't even have time to scream. The arrow that came for her dug into her ribs and the darkness crept into her vision.

* * *

The light ignited from the rooftop of the tower and Loghain could swear he felt the heat from the flames. It was the signal, the signal that was supposed to win the battle. He was ordered by the king to charge on the darkspawn when the beacon was lit, however, he had other plans in store for his men - and Ferelden as well.

"Sound the retreat," he said flatly, his eyes never leaving the losing battle in front of him.

The commander furrowed her brow. "But sir, that wasn't the plan. They'll be slaughtered!"

Loghain turned and grabbed the collar of the soldier's tunic and yanked her towards him, anger ablaze in his eyes. "Do as I command!" he snarled.

Slowly, the woman turned to Loghain's soldiers and waved her hand, motioning them to move out. As they did, Loghain felt a small smirk cross his face. He had no plan to take over Cailan's throne, that much he knew. His daughter, however, would be a more suited ruler than the boy on the battlefield right now; and Loghain was not about to risk his entire army for a boy's dream of glory.

He gave the scene in front of him one more glance before leaving for Denerim with his army.

* * *

As the heat of the fires and the smell of fresh blood surrounded Duncan, he couldn't help but to watch in horror as Cailan was snatched by the monstrosity before them. It came up quickly and grabbed the king as he dealt a fatal blow to a darkspawn warrior, and took no time in toying with its victim. The ogre easily held Cailan in one hand alone and let out a thundering roar, spittle and the smell of blood pelting the man in the face.

Duncan had only a moment to hear the king's last cry before the ogre crushed his torso and ribs, killing the man almost instantly. The ogre tossed the corpse aside as if it were a rag doll; it had lost all interest in the dead man.

Duncan's rage took over. His king was dead; the one man he had sworn to protect above all others. Cailan's blood was now on his hands, and he wouldn't leave until his duty to Cailan, the Wardens, and Ferelden was fulfilled. He grabbed up his blades and raced towards the ogre. He found his strength and was able to leap high enough to dig his daggers into the creature's lower chest, blood hitting the Warden's face and further staining his bloodied tunic. He used his blades to climb the ogre's chest and with every stab the monster cried out in pain, flailing about to try and rid itself of its assailant.

The man would not rest. It wasn't until he reached the neck of the thing that it finally fell with a thunderous thud. Duncan stopped momentarily, staring down at it, marveling it and hating it all at once. It was when he felt the stab of pain in his abdomen that turned and gazed at the body of Cailan, lying in a pool of his own blood.

Duncan slowly gained his footing and stumbled past the soldiers and gore to rest by his king. The wound he had sustained was not going to heal and he knew it, could feel it. It no longer mattered. It was now up to Loghain and his army to charge and win this battle without the Grey Warden's to help.

_'But Alistair...and our newest addition...'_

His thoughts became distant and fuzzy. He stared down at the body and about the battlefield and watched as the men that followed him and Cailan into battle fell one by one. His head started to spin and he could feel his life slipping away from him.

_'The beacon...Loghain must be on his way...'_

It was then that he turned his eyes upward and saw the light that shone brightly on top of the tower. The beacon was lit. Alistair and Aerianes had made it; but Loghain was nowhere to be seen. It had been a trap - a betrayal of towering magnitude, and they had fallen for it.

Duncan turned his eyes once again to the battle around him. He had merely seconds before the darkspawn came for him, weapons bared.

He didn't even make a sound as the axe came for him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Part One  
Chapter Thirteen  
Still Breathing**

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The smell of fresh herbs and meat cooking was what brought her senses alive. The elf felt the softness of linen on her bare skin and the soreness in her muscles. Her eyes fluttered open and slowly the light about her came into focus and she saw the wooden walls around her. She was in a home; though who it belonged to she wasn't sure. Aerianes started to push herself up and felt the sharp stab of blinding pain in her chest and shoulder. She seethed and brought her hands to the wound.

"Ah! You're eyes finally open! Mother shall be pleased."

Aerianes looked about to find the owner of the voice and saw the woman who stood at the foot of the bed, her arms crossed and a coy smile playing on her lips. Her golden eyes seemed to have a mischievous glint in them as she looked down at the elf.

"I-I remember you..." Aerianes croaked, her throat screaming from the dryness. She swallowed a few times and the woman seemed to know what she beckoned for; she brought the warrior a cup of water. Aerianes gulped down. "You are the girl from the Wilds."

The woman squinted at her. "I am Morrigan, lest you have forgotten," she rose and placed the cup on the nearby table. "And we are in the Wilds where I am bandaging your wounds. You are welcome, by the way." Her agitation at the elf's lack of gratitude faded quickly as she wondered of the girl's health. "How does your memory fare? Do you remember mother's rescue?"

The Warden shot up, the pain in her body momentarily forgotten as her memories flooded back to her. She remembered the Joining, the meeting with Cailan and Loghain, the battle to the beacon. The rest was...

"Wait! What happened to the army?" she asked desperately. "The king?"

Morrigan frowned. "The man who was supposed to respond to our signal quit the field," she explained, her face darkening. "The darkspawn won your battle. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend...he is not taking it well."

Aerianes felt her pulse quickening at the news Morrigan delivered. She had failed, to put it simply. Her head spun and she suddenly felt quite nauseous. The commander had left them to die, Duncan, Cailan, herself...

She raised her head. "My friend? You mean...Alistair? He's alive?"

The witch nodded. "The suspicious dim witted one who was with you before, yes. He is outside by the fire. Mother asked to see you when you awoke."

Aerianes slowly moved her legs over the edge of the bed and grabbed at her clothing. She looked back at Morrigan, confused. "Why does she want to see me?"

"I do not know," she replied flatly. "She rarely tells me her plans."

Aerianes slowly rose and dressed as Morrigan looked over her to check her wounds. They were still fresh, and the elf cringed when the woman poked at them, but they were healing infection free; for that alone, she was grateful.

Once finished, Aerianes picked up her weapons and slung them over her shoulders. "I will go then." She walked to the door of the small shack and placed her hand on the knob. Before she left, she turned to Morrigan again, smiling. "Thank you for helping me Morrigan."

Morrigan seemed surprised by her appreciation and stumbled over her own words. She attempted a smile at the elf and sighed. "I...You are welcome, thought mother did most of the work. I am not healer," she stammered. "I will stay here and make you something to eat."

Aerianes nodded and left the hut. When she entered the open air, she inhaled deeply, thankful for the chance to fill her lungs again. She heard the crickets chirping and felt the chill of the morning as the sun began to rise over the trees, slowly evaporation the dew that gathered on the ground. Aerianes couldn't help but close her eyes and smile as she embraced the sights and sounds of nature.

"See? Here is your fellow Grey Warden. You worry far too much, young man."

Aerianes opened her eyes and saw Alistair standing beside the fire by the small lake. He took one look at her and immediately his face relaxed. He had been awake for an extra day and had more than enough time to worry about her condition and to entertain the thought of being truly alone. He stared at her in disbelief, as if the woman before him was a mere illusion.

"You," he breathed. "You're alive!" He laughed and wiped his brow. "I thought you were dead for sure!"

Aerianes slowly approached him and smiled back. "I'm fine," she said, thankful again for her good fortune. "I appreciate your concern."

Suddenly, Alistair's face dropped and he stared at the ground, his fists clenching. "This doesn't seem real. If it weren't for Morrigan's mother we'd be dead on top of that tower for sure."

"Don't talk about me as if I'm not present, lad."

Aerianes turned, surprised by the old woman's presence even though she knew she was standing there. The old crone stood with her arms across her chest, as Morrigan did, and grinned at the two warriors. She then approached them and stared accusingly at Alistair as he stammered.

"I-I didn't mean..." he began, "but...what do we call you? You never told us your name!"

The woman sighed. "Names are pretty, but useless. The Chasind folk call me Flemeth; I suppose it will do."

Alistair gaped, his eyes wide. "The Flemeth from the legends? Daveth was right!" he breathed, exasperated by her very presence. "You're the Witch of the Wilds, aren't you?"

Flemeth frowned at him, placing her hands on her hips and sneering. "And what does that mean?" she challenged. "I know a bit of magic and it has served you well, has it not?"

"So why did you save us?" Aerianes asked quickly, trying to ease the sudden tension in the air.

Flemeth backed down and composed herself. She grinned at the elf and sighed. "Well, we can't have all the Grey Warden's dying at once, can we? Someone has to deal with these darkspawn. It has always been the Grey Wardens duty to unite the lands against the Blight." She then raised an eyebrow suspiciously at the two warriors and tilted her head. "Or did that change when I wasn't looking?"

Aerianes huffed. "The land is hardly united, thanks to that shem Loghain."

"That doesn't make any sense," Alistair said; lost in his own thought so he missed the elf's disrespectful tone. "Why would he do it?"

Flemeth nodded. "Now that is a good question! Men's hearts hold shadows darker than any tainted creature. Perhaps he believes the Blight is an army he can out maneuver," her faced darkened. "Perhaps he does not see that the evil behind it is the true threat."

"The archdemon." Alistair stated, anger in his tone.

Aerianes furrowed her brow and looked from Flemeth to Alistair. She was always told of darkspawn in her clan, but never of this demon; and it seemed that this was something she needed to learn about, and fast.

"What is this archdemon, exactly?"

"It is said long ago that the maker sent the Old Gods of the ancient Tevinter Imperium to slumber in prisons beneath the surface," Flemeth explained, her old eyes shining in the firelight. "An archdemon is an Old God awakened and tainted by darkspawn. Believe that or not, history says it's a fearsome and immortal thing. And only fools ignore history."

Aerianes looked to Alistair, determination in her steel eyes. "Then we need to find this archdemon."

"By ourselves?" he scoffed. He saw by her expression that she was not fully aware of their situation and shook his head. "No Grey Warden had ever defeated a Blight without the army of a half dozen nations at his back. Not to mention..." his face reddened, "I don't know how."

Flemeth frowned. "How to kill and archdemon? Or how to raise an army?" She drew closer to the two and folded her arms again. "It seems to me those are two different questions, hmm? Have the Wardens' no allies these days?"

Alistair was frustrated. He had never been looked to for answers; he was always the follower and he didn't want his role to change. "I-I don't know. Duncan said the Grey Wardens of Orlais had been called, and Arl Eamon would never stand for this, surely."

"Perhaps we could go to him then?" the elf interjected.

His face lit up. "Of course! We could go to Redcliffe and appeal to him for help!"

Aerianes frowned. She had heard of Redcliffe, and though it was a prosperous town, she was certain there would not be enough soldiers to help their cause. She rubbed her head and clucked her tongue. "Surely there are other allies we could call on?" she asked.

Alistair smacked his head, his voice rising with excitement. "Of course! The treaties!" When the elf gave him a questioning look he explained, "Grey Wardens can call on the aid of dwarves, elves, mages, and other places! They're obligated to help us during a Blight!"

Flemeth smirked, her eyes glowing as she stared at the Wardens. "I may be old; but dwarves, elves, mages, this Arl Eamon and who knows what else? This sounds like an army to me."

The young man turned to his partner. "So can we do this? Go to Redcliffe and those other places and...build an army?"

Aerianes was perplexed by him asking her. Was he not her superior? Should she not be following his orders? Perhaps he just wanted her to confirm his order. She nodded and grinned. "Why not? Isn't that what Grey Wardens do?"

The old witch nodded, clearly satisfied by their decision. "So, you are set then? You are ready to be Grey Wardens?"

Aerianes nodded, a great wave of excitement washing over her. She was ready to face whatever they had to face in order to build their army. She glanced at Alistair and saw the raw determination in his eyes and knew then that they would be doing something great; something that, if they succeeded, might create stories and songs minstrels would sing for centuries to come. She nodded at the old woman and grinned. "As ready as we'll ever be. Thank you for everything Flemeth."

She shook her head in return. "No, no. Thank you. You are the Grey Wardens, not I." Her weathered face seemed sincere and the smile that crossed her face was one of pride and accomplishment. She thought for a moment about their journey ahead, and new the trials ahead would be great and morale testing. They had heart and a fierce will to continue on their quest against the Blight alone; but the darkspawn were not known to crumble before sheer will. She knew the two had no experience of magic; and though the elf was raised and trained in the forest, both were so raw to battle and fighting darkspawn. She had to help them further, she needed to give them a great weapon that would help them in their travel greatly. "Before you go," she began. "There is one more thing I can offer you."

"The stew is bubbling mother," came a voice from the hut. Morrigan stood with the door open, spoon in hand. It looked almost comical to see such a strong willed and sharp tongued woman standing in a housewife manner, cooking a meal for guests. "Shall we have two guests for the ever, or not?"

Flemeth waved her daughter over and Morrigan obeyed. The old woman turned again to Aerianes and Alistair and grinned wider, seeming to be quite pleased with herself. "The Grey Wardens shall be leaving shortly dear, and you will be joining them."

"Such a shame," Morrigan began, no real regret in her voice. She then stopped abruptly and looked over at her mother. "What?"

"You heard me girl. The last time I looked, you had ears!" Flemeth laughed.

Aerianes and Alistair stole a glance at each other. She could tell the Warden did not like the idea of Morrigan tagging along; but for what reason, she wasn't too sure. It was a brilliant idea. Morrigan said she was not a healer, but with her spells and knowledge of potions and the Wilds, they could at least get out of Ostagar alive. Who knew what darkspawn still lingered?

However, Morrigan did not look as pleased.

"Thank you Flemeth," Aerianes replied, grateful for the woman's offer. "But if Morrigan does not wish to join us-"

"Her magic will be useful," Flemeth interrupted, confirming the elf's own reasoning. "Even better, she knows the Wilds and how to get past the horde. They still linger in Ostagar, feasting upon the bones of dead men and they will have no problem disposing of only two of you. Morrigan will pull her weight, of that I can assure you."

Morrigan spoke up, anger in her voice. "Have I no say in this?"

Flemeth turned to her daughter, a sort of hardened understanding in her eyes. She placed a hand on Morrigan's shoulder and sighed. "You have been wanting to get out of the Wilds for years. Here is your chance," she smiled and patted Morrigan's back. She turned her head and narrowed her gaze at the Wardens. "As for you, Grey Wardens, consider this payment for your lives."

Aerianes shrugged. It was obvious that Flemeth had made her decision, and she was certain that the woman would not be changing her mind. The elf had no problem with Morrigan coming along; it was mostly Alistair that she was worried about. The two clearly had no liking for each other and the last thing she wanted was a party divided. However, there were more important things to think about now than who you like and who you don't, and she hoped that the two would understand that.

"Very well, we'll take her with us." Aerianes concluded.

This time, Alistair spoke up. "Not to...look a gift horse in the mouth, but won't this be adding to our problems?" He glanced at Aerianes, as if to express his concern to her alone, again, as if he was looking to her for direction and leadership. "Out of the Wilds," he explained, "she's an apostate."

"If you do not wish help from us illegal mages, young man, perhaps I should have left you on that tower," Flemeth spat.

He frowned. "Point taken."

Morrigan stepped in front of Flemeth and shook her head. Events were moving too fast and she was not sure if the witch's actions were right. "Mother, this is not how I wanted this!" she protested, her voice raising. "I am not even ready-"

Flemeth hushed her, raised a hand to stop her. "You must be ready. Alone, these two must unite Ferelden against the darkspawn. They need you, Morrigan. Without you, they will surely fail, and all will perish under the Blight." She smiled at her daughter and took her hand. "Even I."

She looked down at Flemeth's hand, surprised by the sudden tenderness in the woman's actions. She had never known her mother to be so sincere unless it was something of utter importance. Morrigan glanced at her and swallowed the small lump in her throat, determined not to show her sudden rush of emotion. "I...understand."

"And do you understand, Wardens?" Flemeth asked, looking over Morrigan's shoulder to the warriors. "I give you that which I value above all in this world. I do this because you must succeed."

Aerianes nodded at Flemeth, her face stern. "We understand."

The young witch turned to the two travelers and sighed. She saw that she really didn't have a say in the matter and she would just have to accept the conditions of her leaving the Wilds. "Allow me to get my things, if you please."

Morrigan left with Flemeth following behind her to the small shack. Aerianes and Alistair were left alone outside by the fire. She was thankful for Flemeth's help and Morrigan's contribution to their cause. She liked Morrigan, even if she did seem quite distant and off-put.

"I suppose they are talking about how to kill us in our sleep and bring our bodies back to suck out our souls for their own pleasure and sustenance," Alistair grumbled, walking towards the lake and staring over the horizon. The sun was now over the trees and warming the Wilds, and Aerianes could now fully see the pain and anger in Alistair's eyes. She couldn't blame him for being angry about the battle, but she couldn't wrap her head around why he was against Morrigan traveling with them.

"Alistair," she began, standing beside him and gazing out at the water. "We need all the help we can get. Who are we to refuse?"

"She's an apostate," he replied flatly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Aerianes asked, anger in her voice now. "We have no talent in the magical arts and she does! She'll be a great asset!" This man was frustrating her and only proving that humans were always going to be divided amongst each other. It angered her that they constantly fought against each other, even in times of war against a united threat. The elven ways would never permit differences to interfere with their goals of trying to unite the clans and gain actual territory in Ferelden. They even continued to take in the elves of the cities, even though they had turned their backs on their heritage and became slaves to the shems.

"Aerianes, I'm a templar. I've been raised the in the Chantry and have been taught that magic is a dangerous and powerful thing." He looked down at his partner, the anger slowly dissipating from his dark eyes. "Mages need to be watched closely, not just for the threat of magic getting out of hand, but to ensure demons cannot possess their bodies and cause even more trouble."

The elf huffed. "Don't be such a fat head," she retorted. "In the clans, there are many elves who know magic, and they are fine; they help the clan and are a great asset. We could never afford to haul off our magic wielders to Mage School to be constantly monitored by big muscle heads like you!"

She could tell that her words hurt, and she instantly wished to the gods that she could take it back. She never meant to exert her frustration on him, and it seemed he might not be able to joke his way out of tense situations right now. His eyes dropped and he said no more. Aerianes stammered, trying to find something to say to make her partner feel better.

"Alistair...I-"

"I am at your disposal, Grey Wardens." Morrigan walked up to them with Flemeth trailing behind. A horse stood by the shack with packs secured to its back. The witch stopped and eyed her two new companions and could feel the tension in the air. "I suggest a village north of the Wilds as our first destination. 'Tis not far, and you will find much you need there." She waited for a response and when none came, she sighed. "Or, if you prefer, I shall simply be your silent guide. The choice is yours."

Aerianes looked at Morrigan, then to Alistair. She slowly grinned and relaxed her posture. "I have no problems with your presence, if Alistair doesn't."

The man seemed surprised by her concern for his feelings. He looked at the three women, who stared at him, waiting for him to speak.

"I just...do you really want to take her along?" he asked the elf aloud. "Just because her mother says so?"

She gave Alistair a warning look and he shut his mouth immediately. "We need all the help we can get," she said finally, giving up on the human for now.

He sighed, realizing that the topic was finished. "I guess you're right. The Grey Wardens have always taken allies where the could find them."

Morrigan smirked. "I am so pleased to have your approval."

Aerianes saw that a fight would break out at any moment and quickly intervened. "I think we should just get underway," she interjected, stepping between the two.

Morrigan looked at the tiny woman and nodded. She turned to Flemeth, who was securing the reins on the horse. The young witch approached her mother and took the reins into her hands. "Farewell mother," she said. "Do not forget the stew on the stove. I would have to return to a burnt down hut."

"Bah!" Flemeth exclaimed. " 'Tis far more likely you will return to see this entire area - including my hut - swallowed up by the Blight!"

The fierce eyes on the young witch softened and Aerianes swore that she could see a hint of pain in them. "I...all I meant was..." Morrigan trailed off her sentence and bit her lower lip.

Flemeth smiled and nodded. "Yes, I know. Do try to have fun dear."

Morrigan turned to her new companions and sighed. "I suppose we should be off, Wardens. Follow me, and I will take you to our destination - as combat free as possible."

Aerianes could hear the protest in Alistair's grumbling, but she would have none of it. She glared at him and followed Morrigan out of the clearing and into the Wilds. She couldn't help but feel a small bit of appreciation for these humans. They were here to fight alongside her without question. It was comforting to know that she was not alone in a world where her kind was not always welcome. She could only hope to keep the peace between the two feuding travelers.

She was lucky Alistair was not in a talking mood.

They had traveled nearly all day without a word. Morrigan led them through the bloodbath of Ostagar without much trouble and had brought them to a well traveled path, worn from years of carriages going back and forth. The sun had been unnaturally warm that day as the rays broke through the trees in bright beams of light. If it were not for the constant threat of ambush from leftover darkspawn, Aerianes would have taken the time to appreciate their surroundings. However, she was trying to keep her senses alert.

It was not long down their path that Alistair stopped them, drawing his sword and shield. He looked at Aerianes and silently prompted her to do the same. As she was still without any arrows, she drew her blades as well, trying to feel the threat her partner felt. They stared over the hill of their path, waiting.

She could hear footsteps. They were fast and approaching them without subtlety. Aerianes tightened her grip on the hilts of her daggers and squinted her eyes to try and make out their enemy.

The figure bounded from the bushes and knocked down the elf from her stance. She landed with a loud Oomph! and felt the four legged beast licking her wildly. She couldn't help but laugh as the large tongue tickled her face and neck and the hound that pounced her barked happily. It finally backed off and stared down the path they were walking, suddenly very tense and growling. The elf had enough time to get to her feet and see the small horde that had found them.

Immediately, the dog howled and ran to the enemies. Alistair followed suit, sword raised. Aerianes looked back at Morrigan, who was quickly conjuring her magic and nodded at her. She then targeted the foes and ran forward.

The hound had already disposed of two darkspawn soldiers, pinning them down and ripping out their throats instantly. Alistair was busy dueling with what looked like the commander of the small group and Aerianes saw the four other darkspawn that were coming over the hill. She sneered and raced towards them, jumping over the corpses that already littered the ground. She was able to land on one of the darkspawn, knocking it to the ground and impaled the creature with her dagger; digging the blade in deep and twisting it, she heard the sickening crunch of destroyed organs.

The hound was able to knock down a darkspawn who had snuck up on the elf as she disposed of her victim. It growled and began to maul the body, tearing at the charred armor and the flesh of its opponent. Aerianes rose and quickly removed the monsters head, her faced quickly coated in the spray of its blood.

Morrigan was able to send her magic towards the elf and the hound, setting the other two darkspawn aflame. They screamed through their helmets and fell to the ground, their cooking flesh sending waves of unnatural smell into the air. Aerianes left the hound to finish off the bodies and ran back towards Alistair. He was equally matched it seemed with the heavily armored commander and needed only one distraction to better his opponent.

As Aerianes ran towards her partner, she was blinded by a flash of light appeared before her. She fell to the ground and tried to keep away from the light and its heat. She tried to open her eyes and get a look at her companion, but was unable. She did hear his scream and it sent a wave of terror through her body.

"Alistair!"

It was then that the light disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared. Aerianes cautiously opened her eyes and let them adjust to the sudden darkness of daylight. Her vision was blurred slightly, but she was able to make out the darkspawn on the ground, smoking, and Alistair who was down on one knee, shield up to protect himself.

"It's all right!" Morrigan called, quite pleased with herself. "Its dead! You can come out now Alistair! No need to be frightened!"

The templar rose to his feet and stared down at the body. The helmet it wore was cracked in two and its corpse twitched now and again. He looked over and Aerianes and saw she was okay, and he was glad for it. He then turned to the witch, who was slowly walking towards them with the horse and noticed her smug grin.

"Morrigan," Aerianes breathed, rushing towards the two. "You saved us. Thank you!"

"'Tis my job now, is it not?" she asked nonchalantly. She turned an amused eye to Alistair, who merely glared at her as she relished the praise. "Are you not thankful as well, Alistair? Were it not for my 'apostate magic' you might be short a head on your shoulders. Though I doubt the lack of your head would affect the lack of your brain matter."

He groaned and turned to Aerianes as if to get her to stop Morrigan's taunting. "She...I...Well-"

It was the bark behind them that drew their attention away from the argument at hand. The hound stood before Aerianes, head cocked and ears perked. It wagged its snubbed tail and nudged her hand, begging to be acknowledged and petted. She smiled and bent down, running her hands over its short fur. It barked happily at the affection.

"I think this is the Mabari I helped cure at Ostagar," Aerianes said, still stroking the hounds head. She was immediately falling in love with the four legged warrior. He was a strongly built dog with a short coat of tan fur, though that was a little difficult to see through the blood drying on his body. Still, he didn't seem to mind the mess and continued to relish in Aerianes' attention.

"I think he was out there looking for you," Alistair said, smiling for the first time since Ostagar. He was happy that at least his partner was able to find someone to laugh with in this whole mess. "He's...chosen you. Mabari are like that; they call it imprinting."

Morrigan huffed, obviously disgusted by the sight and smell of the dog. She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Does this mean we're going to have this mangy beast following us about now? Wonderful."

"He's not mangy!" Alistair retorted in a childish voice. The hound barked, again happy with the consensus of his arrival.

Aerianes smiled brightly and held the hounds head nose to nose with her own. She stared deeply into its deep brown eyes and saw the same glint of battle as her and Alistairs. "I've always wanted a dog," she said, her eyes still on her new friend. "Maybe this is meant to be."

"What are you going to call..." Alistair narrowed his gaze, checking slightly under the dogs belly. "Him. Yep, it's a him."

"Daugion." Aerianes answered with finality. It was a good name, a strong name which meant 'Of the army' in her own language. To humans it would mean literally 'Of the soldiers'. It was fitting considering his new master and traveling company. She smiled and the Mabari licked her face again, happy with her decision.

"We are not too far from Lothering," Morrigan said, breaking up the disgusting scene of affection before her. "We must make haste if we are to make it to the outskirts of the village by nightfall."

The Wardens nodded and they began their journey again, this time with one more companion. Aerianes was a little disappointed that the Mabari would be the quiet one instead of the humans. She shrugged to herself and decided to let it be. She had to travel with them, bad moods or not; so she may as well make the best of it.

_'Besides,' _she thought, _'__we have an army to build and a shem to destroy...'_

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_Continued in Dragon Age: A Novel: Part Two_


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